OK, since this thread is cycled and it's so valuable, we need to keep track of the archives as educational material.This is the most recent archive of the thread, with all of the first posts intact:archive.fo/pRkxKIt has 459 posts. When the posts at the beginning of this cycle start to get close to >>2314001 we need to make a new archive snapshot.

17 months ago

Brandon Moore

2296410Handing out copies of mein kompf is a good thing?

17 months ago

Luis Cox

WaPonah I don't think that even happened

17 months ago

Logan Williams

No, I meant the KPD.k-p-d-online.deDKP is shit in my state. KPD had always good relations with the DPRK and sends delegations to the country from time to time.

That's laughable bullshit.

New 38North article talks about growing markets in the DPRK but has no sources besides a 10 year old dissertation about the economy in the early 2000s:38north.org/2017/12/pward122117/#_ftnref2Leaks apparently confirm that managers of enterprises sideline the party in terms of administrative decisions - the article claims that this proves the weakening of the Taean Work System, but doesn't explain how - the Taen Work System doesn't mean "the party offical tells you what to do" (only an anti-communist moron would think that) but that all management cadres are part of it. The managers are also elected. The author makes out this dichotomy between a state-owned cooperative and the Taen Work System. Has he been smoking or is he deliberately dishonest im trying to obfuscate the situation?

Furthermore, let's check how the article is written:seeminglyseems to be doingseeminglyseeminglyseemsfar from clearvaguenebulousappears to havefar from clearnot visible on the surfaceetc. Totally not conjecture. Also, one of the "sources" is a quick Google search of a North Korean news site how often it mentions certain words.

17 months ago

Isaiah Allen

2266385Kai, is that you?

17 months ago

Isaiah Davis

From wich state do you come from? Why is it shit there?

17 months ago

Logan Long

t. FBI

17 months ago

Jose Davis

You know it's my party, iam interested in his is critisism

17 months ago

Christopher Reyes

clearly you need to know where he lives for that.

17 months ago

Jason Phillips

If he says its bad in his state? Good I can change the question. Why is it bad, in the state you are living in?

If North Korea really is achieving per capita annual GDP growth rates of 9% as claimed by the Hyundai Research Institute, and if salaries really have grown 250-1,200% over the last 10 years, then North Korea has the fastest growing economy in the industrialised world, and its people are seeing the fastest growth in real incomes in the world.

I really doubt South Korea's Hyundai mega-corporation has a pro communist bias

17 months ago

Jackson Lee

I'm from Bavaria. The DKP is shit there because the local chapter actively encouraged people to not vote for their own party as that would take votes away from DieLinke. It's literally the worst form of reformism/lesser evilism. However, the chapter got dissolved by the federal committee in summer this year and the party returned to a more classical Marxist-Leninist/anti-imperialist platform in the process. Of course, I endorse the renewed course of the DKP. Does the guy from the DKP know if they still ban the people from the Netzwerk kommunistische Politik?

their seems to be people much more skilled in statesmanship then Kim jong un in the politburo at the moment, or at least have more experience, why is it that he was put in power over these other gentlemen while not having held any prior positions in the North Korean state?Most other examples of Politburos from failed 20th century experiments tended to favor older veterans of the state.

17 months ago

Samuel Rodriguez

Well, those experiments did fail, so it may be a good thing they didn't hand over the ship to a veteran politician. And I say that as an M-L. I'm not under any delusion that the Kim family doesn't have special privilege compared to the rest of the government, because they clearly do even though the West overstates the extent of that privilege, but there were people within the Kim family with far more political experience than Kim Jong-Un who could have become leader but didn't. In that regard, Kim Jong-Un becoming leader is a reflection of the DPRK government taking to heart the failures of past M-L states, and Kim Jong-Un has been doing a very good job as leader.

17 months ago

Cameron King

has been doing a very good job as leader.He doesn't seem to be the most active leader either. How much work is his, and how much work is the presidium? And why then is he their and not one of the more experienced elders in the politburo?

17 months ago

Matthew Kelly

*there

17 months ago

Gavin Ross

The policies of his tenure have been quite good and living standards have risen. I wouldn't know much of that is the doing of of Kim versus how much of that is because of the people around him, nor would many westerners have the means to know that. Correlation is not causation, but the DPRK is in better shape under Kim Jong-un than they were under Jong-il.

17 months ago

Charles Allen

The policies of his tenure have been quite good and living standards have risen. I wouldn't know much of that is the doing of of Kim versus how much of that is because of the people around him, nor would many westerners have the means to know that. Correlation is not causation, but the DPRK is in better shape under Kim Jong-un than they were under Jong-il.>>2335139

17 months ago

Eli Sanders

Kim Jong Un has to stop his regime's brutal oppression of North Korean gamers. And he has to stop right fucking now.

17 months ago

Lucas Russell

mfw extending gamer-american solidarity to the oppressed gamer masses of north korea

Not a great meme, but nevertheless, virtually all of the components of modern smartphones (operating systems, transistors, microchips, multitouch) were developed in the state sector with public financing. Capitalist incentives have contributed a fraction to technological progress.

17 months ago

Lincoln Flores

2291883thank socialism for not having homemade electricitysaving or even making money of electricity made at home is bad2291997calling a mobile phone that cant connect to a cellular network because they have not even been invented yet a cellphoneconfusing inventor of mobile phones with inventor of "the" first mobile phone (mobile phones existed since before Kupriyanovich was even born this is so many levels of retarded)using PR pictures of conceptual design props that didnt actually work and where never producedthese have to be elaborate bait

No argument found. I guess this is the intellectual level of the Right.

17 months ago

Carter Robinson

transistorUh, the transistor was made at Bell Labs dude.

17 months ago

Chase Miller

A point people I've discussed NK with have brought up is that even if they only seek to use the technology as a deterrent against being invaded and for nuclear energy, they are likely to sell the technology to their allies or random shitholes, is this likely/unlikely?

17 months ago

Alexander Taylor

i believe the argument that NK is racialist is not because of the constitution but the propaganda / literature / internal party-track newspapers, etc.

"A strange farce to hamstring the essential characters of the Korean nation and seek for 'multiracial society' is now being held in south Korea. In this regard Rodong Sinmun today runs a signed commentary, which censures the farce as an unpardonable bid to negate the homogeneity of the nation, make south Korea multiracial and Americanize it. To deny the peculiarity and advantages of the homogeneous nation now that dominationism and colonialism are posing a threat to the destiny of weak nations is a treacherous act of weakening the spirit of the nation, the commentary says, and goes on: The south Korean pro-American traitorous forces advocating the theory of 'multiracial society' are riffraffs who have not an iota of national soul, to say nothing of the elementary understanding of the view on the nation and social and historic development."

17 months ago

Jace Bennett

they are likely to sell the technology to their allies or random shitholes, is this likely/unlikely?It's good if they give it to allies.

17 months ago

Kevin Kelly

Secondly, the argument goes that if the DPRK is a far-right state (I'd say it's a hybrid) then the official constitution is the last place to look to understand what it's about. In Nazi Germany, the Weimar constitution stayed into effect until 1945 – modified primarily by the Enabling Act. Didn't mean anything.

Fascist states also tend to express their propaganda less on doctrinal texts (when they even have them) but aesthetics and charismatic storytelling, because the extreme right is a romantic and anti-materialist way of thinking about the world. The extreme right has never produced a Marx, Lenin or Mao. The main text for the Nazi regime was Hitler's autobiography; not the most compelling theory in the world.

And I hear a lot about Juche but despite the defenders of it, the only explanation I've heard for it is "self-reliance." But that's so vague as to be meaningless. The bulk of what the DPRK seems to promote is the charismatic personality cult and the leader's life story and that of his family. Does Kim Jong Un have a theoretical body of work?

Okay I'm done.

17 months ago

Tyler Brooks

How is self-reliance vague and meaningless?

17 months ago

Jeremiah Stewart

Maybe not Kim Jong-un, but Kim Il-sung certainly did have theory, as well as Kim Jong-il, though I've only read Il-sung. The point of Juche is to apply Marxism-Leninism such that it can fit within Korean culture. The idea is that Koreans are not ready to leave behind Great Man Theory in favor of historical materialism and as the socialist process develops in the future, they can put less emphasis on the so-called cult of personality. Who knows how true it is that the Korean worldview is not ready for historical materialism - I'm personally skeptical of it - but the fact is that their commitment to socialist self-reliance has slowed them to thrive in isolation despite how much a shit hand they've been dealt. Juche would not work anywhere else and I don't know if it's the only thing that could work in the DPRK, but it's working.

17 months ago

Ethan Baker

/leftpol/8414Cracks me up how it's been about two months since this general was created, deleted, and reposted. Yet leftcoms and anarkiddies still can't present any argument to back their wild take.

And I hear a lot about Juche but despite the defenders of it, the only explanation I've heard for it is "self-reliance." Juche doesn't mean self-reliance. That's just a popular interpretation. Juche means "subject", and was originally designed to "subject" in the texts of Marx and Hegel.Does Kim Jong Un have a theoretical body of work?Kim Jong-un has written little but Kim il-Sung and Kim Jong-il have written dozens of books. Please don't poison the well.

17 months ago

Noah Watson

Has anyone else watched the NYT North Korea documentary? It's quite interesting actually. Of course, Nicholas Kristof is a bumbling fool who provides really banal commentary, but aside from that its nice to see the high-quality footage and interviews with average Koreans.

I'll list a couple other things I noticed, but I would love for other anons to contribute here.

1. The filmmakers go to a factory and speak with the manager, but don't address its daily functionings beyond mentioning that it's a communist live-in factory. No mention of the Taean system or anything of the sort.

2. They note that the economy has improved immensely since the mid-aughts despite tightening sanctions, but provide no explanation. The reality is probably that they are unable to see past their own ideology and grasp that North Korea has been able to grow economically without capitalism, and see it instead as a mystery

3. They make a bunch of baseless claims throughout the movie. Someone should definitely write them down. One I distinctly remember is that no one outside of Pyongyang would speak freely to them.

If anything, this film improved my perception of the DPRK. They clearly have no illusions about the threat the US poses and have pride in their country's ability to persist against all odds.

There was a military and economic cooperation between Prussia and imperial Japan by the end of the 19th century, modernizing and industrializing Japan. Due to this exchange, Japan came in contact with a lot of German philosophy, but due to the long isolation of Japanese language, struggled to translate most of modern philosophical terms. In 1887, the word shutai was coined and used for "Subject" in the writings of Hegel and Marx. Due to colonialism and massive Japanese influence on the Korean language this word appeared as "Juche" in Korean translations of Marx as well.

Juche means that the subject is men, the proletariat is the revolutionary subject, while men as a whole is the post-revolutionary subject once exploiting classes have been abolished: A Marxist knows that the bourgeoisie is however just a mirror of capital itself, therefore, socialism means not only the liquidation of the bourgeoisie, but also the self-abolition of the proletariat, when the subject becomes men itself.

Growth in many undeveloped areas in 2016 and 2017 has been enormous so far, sure there is still work to be done, but it's looking good so far.

North Korea has fought for, indeed, has formalized, what those on the left profess to hold dear: economic justice, equality, rights for women, freedom from domination by outside powers. But it has, every inch of the way, had to face the determined resistance of the United States, and has often done so without the support, indeed, frequently in the face of the open hostility, of the greater part of the left in the advanced capitalist countries.

To many on the left, north Korea is disreputable and repugnant, its failings, both real and imagined, misunderstood to be immanent features of the country’s economic and political system, without connection to surrounding events. Slurs hurled at the country seem to mesh neatly with longstanding prejudices. Pyongyang’s recently being accused of drug smuggling and counterfeiting fit expectations that follow from the reprobate status handed the country by the Western media. But it’s unclear whether these charges are true. They may be, but they are often considered free from context and are invested with an instant credibility their source (the US government) does not warrant.

Consider context. If you block a person from earning a living legitimately, he will have no choice but to turn to illegitimate means to survive. US efforts to cut north Korea off from legitimate trade with the rest of the world may, indeed, have forced Pyongyang into drug smuggling and counterfeiting as a means of survival. On the other hand, it’s strikingly easy to alienate a country of outside support by hurling false accusations at it. Damning charges made by the White House are guaranteed to be trumpeted instantaneously throughout the world by the mass media. Given an undeserved instant credibility, they will, in short order, become received truths. Washington could make perfectly absurd claims about Iraq possessing caches of undeclared weapons of mass destruction, despite a decades-long inspection regime, and have those claims treated as beyond doubt by commentators on both the right and left in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. That they were later acknowledged to be untrue was too little, too late. Turning north Korea into an ugly, disreputable house of horrors, which no sane person would ever think of uttering a kind word about, is firmly within the competence of Washington’s masters of propaganda. Failing to recognize that any government that seriously challenges capitalism or imperialism will be subjected to an unrelenting campaign of vilification by “reputable” sources and “serious” commentators, leaves one vulnerable to manipulation.

The US government isn't always lying, I don't think they'd mince words about NK, its not like they need to actively lie in the sense of their foreign policy objectives in North Korea aside from saying the war is about "freedom"

17 months ago

Easton Thompson

The US government isn't always lying, I don't think they'd mince words about NKholy fuck you are gullible

Do you really think North Korea is going to get out of this unscathed? The yanks are thinking about going for a "Bloody Nose" strategy, one which would aim to dismantle North Korea's nuclear armament.

17 months ago

Blake Sanchez

Comrade Kim better unload the entirety of the DPRK's nucular arsenal the moment the US flies one of their gay little drones over their airspace, no pussyfooting around.

17 months ago

Kevin Rivera

bloody nose attackUhm, the DPRK can actually retaliate. Are they retarded? At this point the South Korans should throw every American out of their country if they care even a little bit about their own well-being

17 months ago

Asher Jackson

one which would aim to dismantle North Korea's nuclear armament.it's just talk, dude. it's impossible for them to take out DPRK's nukes.

17 months ago

Brayden Howard

How can you say that? They're contemplating it.

17 months ago

Liam Cooper

They're bullshitting, do you literally believe everything Trump says?

17 months ago

Benjamin Williams

I have an immense fear of being fucking nuked. I am on the paranoid side, hopefully more brazen and intelligent heads than I will fuck up the US and not get us all killed.

17 months ago

Nicholas Murphy

That's a really weird fear to have tbqh famalam

17 months ago

Benjamin Garcia

Instant annihilation is not scary.I'd literally die wasting away from disease. At least I would be cognizant and be able to do other shit when I'm suffering. It might be weird, but it's not a weird fear.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is not, and has not ever been, a monarchy. It started as a democracy in 1946, and continues to be one to this dying day.To call the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea anything but a democracy is dishonest, and a sign of historic and economic ignorance.North Korea is not a monarchy. Instead, North Korea is what happens when democracy meets its ends.

This was written by an ancap

17 months ago

Ethan Allen

I don't see how a modified version of Juche wouldn't work in the US. It would fit very well with the Hollywood-perpetuated mythology of the rugged self-reliant individual.

17 months ago

Hunter Edwards

Prior to World War II, Korea was a territory under rule of the Japanese empire. But like Germany and other parts of Europe, the Korean territory was split up amongst the victors of the war, with the northern half being given to the Soviets, and the Southern half to the Americans.Just the very first paragraph on that section and it already is utter garbage.

If only there were an American celebrity supportive of Juche who could put socialism in a package that Americans have the capacity to comprehend. It's like, the Red Scare did so much to hurt socialism in the U.S., and we need to… rebound from that damage.

2310162future DPRK will look like a mixture of minecraft and roller coster tycooni fucking love it!

17 months ago

Robert Lewis

2281596i can tell you to grow up

17 months ago

Wyatt Ross

2291107they don't give world capital a tool to spread propaganda in their countrymuh liberal buzzwords

deluded idiot, the internet is a capitalist propaganda machine. yes you CAN look up whatever you want, but this is the same liberal logic as saying that ANYONE can become a boss! the cold hard truth however is that most people use the internet to eat up neoliberal propaganda from youtube/vice/buzzfeed etc.

17 months ago

Zachary Ramirez

2287638and the us

17 months ago

Austin Diaz

2284180You do know this is a complete lie right?

17 months ago

Jaxon Morgan

What is? What interest does Vice have to spread pro-DPRK propaganda?

17 months ago

Brody Rogers

2290764So state controlled media is more trustworthy than NGO research?

17 months ago

Colton Brooks

See:2278022Also:In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Handicap International assists the Korean Federation for the Protection of the Disabled (KFPD) to advance the equal opportunities, rights and involvement of people with disabilities as active citizens in their own country.

The ICRC, in cooperation with the Red Cross Society and the Armed Forces' Military Medical Bureau of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has opened a new physical rehabilitation centre in Pyongyang for both military and civilian patients.

Can you imagine how far they will get they have normal access to resources?I was listening to a BBC podcast and they had an expert on who regularly visits NK. Casually regular people always point out that meme image of the two Koreas at night as proof the north must be backwards and he has to explain that it is actually quite the contrary, they just focus their resources heavily on the military and elsewhere.

16 months ago

Caleb Ortiz

holy fuck if this really works i'll shit my fucking pants

16 months ago

Carter Foster

2359222People said that the US was going to get bloodied really badly back in 1991People always make stupid predictions about wars but the actual thinking from some of the army was that the airforce was going to win it 100% and sure it was decisive and inflicted big losses on very favorable terrain but they didn't grind Iraq completely to a halt, didn't take out command and control like they thought they did and most noticeably were very bad at finding Saddam's mobile SCUD launchers so in a sense they had a harder war than they thought they would. Recently i listened to a former US commander talk and he said that in case of war they would ave a really hard time and would be desperate to prevent the fall of Seoul in the first 2-3 weeks until they could bring an overwhelming amount of hardware on the peninsula.tbh NK is much better suited for predictions like that.

16 months ago

Jaxson Bailey

Communism doesn't work because it goes against human nature and most people don't desire it That's why we have to drop fifty fucking nukes on it to make sure we completely eviscerate it while its still in the cribIts okay for us to bring literal Nazis into the federal government and give fascists disproportionate free speech protections however lmao that's the american way my friend

2293323They dress children up as soldiers and officers. They prop up their failed State by having everyone be part of the military.

228110922811762281179228118022843492287638228776322888902288937229324922963262307814So where are all the people? A country of 20 million, and its capital is empty. You see a few of the NK upper class or families of high ranking officers.

How do the people in the villages live? They probably live in mud huts and all they get is State propaganda about how NK is great and that it's winning a war against the US and that the rest of the world is a shithole, while they themselves have a slice of heaven.

This fucking thread is literally "lets pretend we're r/communism". DPRK is a failed shithole State run by control and fear out of 1984, ruled by a despotic dictator and his friends.inb4 imperialist propaganda

North Korea doesn't even call itself communist or socialist.Stop pulling shit out of your ass. The name of the North Korean constitution is literally "Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea".Those are liberal SJWs LARPing as anarchists. Try again, kid.And people on r/communism are liberal SJWs larping as Marxist-Leninists.

I might piss off some ☭TANKIE☭, but isn't juche a turd positionist belief. Now of course it doesn't consider itself a turd positionist belief. But it resembles a turd positionist ideology almost completely.

i might piss off some liberals, but isn't your post a liberal belief? now of course you don't consider it a liberal belief. but it resembles a liberals ideology almost completely.

16 months ago

Jayden Ward

the funny thing about my reply is that unlike your faggotry i'm actually right, now cry me a river about how i have to explain shit and bite yourself in the ass, faggot little libshit.

16 months ago

Christian Sanders

definition of turd positionismneo-Nazism, antisemitism, and far-right ultra-nationalism mixed with left-wing economic policiesthe "nationalism" part is debatable. Show examples of neo-nazism and antisemitism in the DPRK, please.

16 months ago

Sebastian Ross

wood-powered carsI thought you were a serious anarkiddie until this gave away the parody, good job comrade.

The difference is you can visit London without restrictions. Hell, I could get a 9 euro ticket and fly there tomorrow if I wanted to. Once there, I can walk around freely to any part of the country without a tour guide.

If I want to visit the DPRK I have to go through specialised travel agencies and then get a guided.

You guys chose the wrong hill to die on. I wonder when the inevitable happens, and DPRK either collapses or gets invaded, and we see what has really been going on inside the country will you guys claim it's imperialist lies, much like /pol/yps claim the concentration camps and Nazi horrors are all Jewish lies.

16 months ago

Brody Gutierrez

that first picthe British literally put up giant LED screens showing pictures of food to compensate for all the starvation and hunger the country's workers endureHoly fuck, when will the DPRK intervene to remove their dystopian Anglo regime?

16 months ago

James Gray

NK is in a war of extermination right now, I know this is hard to understand from your comfy suburb in a big US city but at least try to wrap your mind around that fact.

16 months ago

Hunter Scott

Not really having the time to reply in detail, but can I simply ask you a question? Why do you get such a hard on for the DPRK being denied their fuel? They don't have enough oil themselves, just coal. Wouldn't every other country suffer from similar consequences if it would be denied of oil? Why do you froth your mouth over imperialism doing this shit, forcing the average North Korean to suffer? Why do you defend the UK, one of the bigger imperialist capitalist powers? Genuine question.

16 months ago

Oliver King

hahaha fuck yeah those stupid norks don't have the capability to match the military might of the US empireThis

16 months ago

Kevin Price

damn shitposting flag

16 months ago

Xavier Rivera

Why do you get such a hard on for the DPRK being denied their fuel?I didn't know that stating facts is 'having a hard-on'.

Wouldn't every other country suffer from similar consequences if it would be denied of oil? They would. Why do you froth your mouth over imperialism doing this shit, forcing the average North Korean to suffer? Again, you have to misrepresent and strawman.

My point is that due to lack of resources they cannot even hope to match the firepower or strength of their enemies. So why even try?

It shows the blatant disregard for the lives of the actual people of the DPRK. It is clear to everyone that DPRK cannot win this war, yet they spend money on arming themselves, developing weapons and having a nuclear program. They should abandon their militaristic wet dream because it isn't doing them any good. But to have people live in a repressed regime because of ideology and 'pride' is ridiculous.

Kim Jong Un spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on importing fine wine, spirits and cheeses. Is that the behaviour of a responsible leader who has the best interest of his countrymen in mind?

You still haven't said how most of the North Koreans live. What are the hard numbers and data on the quality of life of people outside of Pyongyang. Their working conditions, their working hours, types of jobs, do they have protection, how is the access to healthcare.

Why do you enjoy seeing North Koreans live in a repressed regime? You enjoy the ability to talk to me online from your country. You can also come visit me if you'd like. You enjoy many things that you seem happy to deny the North Koreans because 'they're fighting imperialism'. You sit in your comfortable living room in the first world, eating food from around the world, enjoying many things North Koreans don't have, then you come here and defend their regime blindly.

I care about people and their conditions. The fact is we just don't know how it is for North Koreans because it's all kept a secret by their government. You take this as a sign that they're protecting paradise on Earth, I take it as a sign that they're hiding something. Guess it's in a state of superporition, it is both paradise and hell, only objective and unbiased observation can tell us which it is. I wonder when that will happen.

Why do you defend the UK, one of the bigger imperialist capitalist powers?How am I defending it? They were joking that London streets are empty because it's lies, etc. All I said was that I can actually travel there and see for myself, and so can anyone else. People from London can move in and out freely and tell me themselves. They can go online and email me and tell me. These kinds of things are not possible with/in the DPRK. Of course, UK is a neoliberal shithole and just by virtue of being a State it is by nature violent and oppressive. I was merely contrasting the availability of information about the two countries, that's it. Just because I think North Korea is shit, doesn't mean I think UK or any other capitalist country is great, that's a false dichotomy.

But personally, if I had to choose between UK and DPRK, I would choose the UK. Wouldn't you? Oh wait, you /are/ choosing to live in Europe over DPRK, every single day.

Because Kim Jong Un and Kim Jong Il haven't heard of realpolitik. Kim Jong Un keeps threatening nuclear war like a fucking retard, instead of playing the game of geopolitics, halting the nuclear program so that some sanctions can be lifted. Yeah, guess fucking what, DPRK is being bullied by stronger States, that much is obvious. But instead of being a dumbass Kim Jong Un can realise it's a fight he cannot win and play ball *for the sake of this people*.

16 months ago

Jack Richardson

2360129the DPRK isn't going to be overthrown but through warWho's talking about overthrowing the DPRK? But why does Un have to continue doing what he's doing especially when he sees that the DPRK keeps getting sanctioned more and more? Why not change his gameplan a little bit? DPRK cannot win any war it fights, that's a fact.

if the DPRK is so great why don't you go live thereamazingIn this case it's a legit question. Cause listening to the ☭TANKIE☭ talk about it he thinks it's way better than any other (capitalist) country on the planet. So why not go live there? He has the freedom to leave his country and relocate. But then we wouldn't have him spreading DPRK propaganda on Zig Forums. ;)

16 months ago

Carter Torres

You're suggesting that kim gets overthrown because he isn't advancing socialism well enough for you. After all, the only way true socialism can be brought about is by destroying people we deem to be dictators. Nobody will win in a war against the DPRK, especially not the korean people, so try explaining why you hate north korea please.

16 months ago

Thomas Carter

I didn't know that stating facts is 'having a hard-on'Every single post of you indirectly implies that it's somehow their own fault and that they are ought to make oil out of thin air. Let's see how your anarchist commune fares without food or oil - it doesn't? Socialism BTFO again!

My point is that due to lack of resources they cannot even hope to match the firepower or strength of their enemies. So why even try?First off that's toxic defeatism and we might as well all become SocDems if that would be true. While they are outgunned, they still achieved a nuclear draw which makes them practically unassailable. There is nothing the US can do right now except sanctions, which hurt them, but can't topple them. They are growing and they've been through way worse. In 1994 the situation was bad, really bad, and I would not have been particulary optimistic back then, but right now there is plenty of reasons for optimism. Why undermine it? There are still problems, yes, but you can read the WPK congress protocols and you'll see that they are aware of them and work on it.

In this very post, you literally call for the disarmament of the Korean working class and their revolution. I don't know what to say to that. You are certainly not my comrade.

Kim Jong Un spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on importing fine wine, spirits and cheeses. Is that the behaviour of a responsible leader who has the best interest of his countrymen in mind?Kim Jong-un despite gaining a few pounds to look older doesn't eat all the grain or whatever. A nice bottle of wine for the North Korean leadership does not equal billions of dollars of surplus value stolen by porky in capitalist countries. Furthmore, there is one day every month where the highest functionaries of the DPRK are forced to work in steel factories or fields.

You still haven't said how most of the North Koreans live. What are the hard numbers and data on the quality of life of people outside of Pyongyang. Their working conditions, their working hours, types of jobs, do they have protection, how is the access to healthcare.That's a pretty fucking high expectation. Why would I be able to tell you some great insight which not even the most renowned academics and journalists seem to get? I know that the DPRK has an 8h workday. Rural life is a lot of manual and bestial labor since the lack of fuel prevents them from using agricultural machines. There are no "mud huts" - they have normal Korean houses made of stone, the problem they have is that they probably lack connection to the energy grid in the more rural areas. Healthcare is free, and probably better than in other developing countries but probably not nearly as good as in the West. I know that the DPRK has a 100% literacy rate so education is probably decent everywhere. There are local councils and cooperative farms and SoE farms have a workplace democracy. All in all, rural life isn't that much different than rural life in other Asian counties except stuff like the lack of energy, but there is no denying that under Kim Jong-un efforts are made to greatly improve the living conditions in underdeveloped areas:exploredprk.com/articles/changsong-today/exploredprk.com/photos/northern-areas-of-korea-turning-misfortune-into-a-blessing/upi.com/North-Korea-moving-flood-victims-into-new-homes/2691479344309/

Your other points are quite weak as well. Of course they restrict freedom of movement for foreigners and freedom of information because they are still at war and can't afford a fancy firewall like China and Vietnam do to protect themselves from cyber warfare. The questions whether or not you want to live in the UK or the DPRK is also dishonest as fuck. UK has 300 years of capitalist development fueled by the spoils of imperialism, it's one of the leading world economies. Be honest and ask yourself: Would you rather live in the DPRK where you have a guaranteed job, 8 hour work day, social services, a fun park and a water park, leisure activities and weed or in Rwanda? Because these two countries have about the same GDP.

Kim Jong Un keeps threatening nuclear war like a fucking retard, instead of playing the game of geopolitics, halting the nuclear program so that some sanctions can be liftedmuh realpolitik muh appeasement Because that worked out so great for Iraq and Libya, right? The DPRK has frozen its nuclear program in the 90s until Bush named them part of the Axis of Evil (of which every state has been destroyed). Putting the horse in front of cart again, good job.

They are growing and they've been through way worse.You're the one who relishes at the struggle of the North Koreans and somehow lives vicariously through their fight against imperialism while doing fuck all about it yourself.

In this very post, you literally call for the disarmament of the Korean working class and their revolution.Again, misrepresentation of statements and straw men. Literally right-wing/capitalist tactics of arguing.

Never said they should disarm, but maybe Un should stop sabre rattling. Iran toned down its nuclear program in response to sanctions. "Only fools die for ideals."

A nice bottle of wine for the North Korean leadership does not equal billions of dollars of surplus value stolen by porky in capitalist countries.what they do isn't bad because there are others doing worseNice argument.

Furthmore, there is one day every month where the highest functionaries of the DPRK are forced to work in steel factories or fields. Truly a worker's paradise.

That's a pretty fucking high expectation. Why would I be able to tell you some great insight which not even the most renowned academics and journalists seem to get?And why do you think that is?

Every North Korean has aguaranteed job, 8 hour work day, social services, a fun park and a water park, leisure activities and weed?Lol, give me a fucking break.

or in Rwanda?At least I could fucking LEAVE Rwanda.

16 months ago

Logan Jenkins

Personally I am not really concerned with how "tyrannical" the DPRK allegedly is. The fact that they stand up to American influence and consistently force America to capitulate to their demands is good enough for me. Remember that socialism (whether global or in a single country like R*java) is literally impossible as long as the United States is the sole global superpower. We need multipolarity.

2360208 I support the DPRK because they have legal methamphetamines which they export to to the rest of the world.

I also heard that the DPRK stole Hillary's emails and leaked them to wikileaks. Oh and also they helped Russia hack the election to give Trump (more like DRUMPF amirite?) the win. Any other shitty burger problem you want to pin on them, liberal?

16 months ago

Juan Reyes

You're the one who relishes at the struggle of the North Koreans and somehow lives vicariously through their fight against imperialism while doing fuck all about it yourself.I'm not born Korean and I have conditions in my own country, where I'm also not living a hunky-dory life. Are you implying I don't have the balls to fight when shit goes down? What about you, are you part of an anarchist milita that abducts porky children? What an awkward attempt to make this personal and a Third Worldist argument.

Never said they should disarm, but maybe Un should stop sabre rattling. Iran toned down its nuclear program in response to sanctions. "Only fools die for ideals."lmao, do you think when they tone down the rethoric the US is going to be a-ok with nukes? You completely ignored my other argument: They've already tried to freeze the nuclear program. Didn't work. Iran is in an extremly vulnerable position right know, they replaced an Islamic-SocDem government with a liberal one yet they still had to freeze their civil (!) uranium program.

Lol, give me a fucking break.It's true. Do you dent the existence of the Munsu Water Park or various fun parks? Or the leisure facilities? You may find this hilarious but that actually exists.

I can leave RwandaNo you can't, Rwandan passport is one of the worst in the world, super hard to immigrate anywhere as long as you are not in the 5%. Best chance is to pay some human traffickers and then hope you don't end up in a concentration camp in Libya or in literal slavery.

North Koreans actually can travel, most countries put up travel bans, if you want North Koreans to see the world tell them to lift them. In China, Vietnam, Indonesia or Laos you can find lots of North Koreans, they buy consumer items there or get medical treatment. In South Korea however, they can't go back to the DPRK:english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_northkorea/799215.htmlarchive.fo/4E6mS

Are you implying I don't have the balls to fight when shit goes down? I was talking about North Korea specifically. You're happy to see them struggle and you get some perverse enjoyment from it. Pure fucking ideology.

They've already tried to freeze the nuclear program. Didn't work.Maybe this time it will. Marxism-Leninism didn't work before, yet you want to try again. Why should North Korea have a one-and-done policy when you yourself don't have one?

Do you dent the existence of the Munsu Water Park or various fun parks? Or the leisure facilities?one water park per 20 millionName some other ones. Show me evidence of every North Korean having access to a water park. That was, after all, your claim.

North Koreans actually can travel, most countries put up travel bans, if you want North Koreans to see the world tell them to lift them.Only South Korea and Japan have a ban on North Koreans entering. Most countries require them to get a visa, and some allow visa-free entry.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_North_Korean_citizens

North Korean government sends workers to Poland to be exploited by capitalists then collects their paychecks.youtube.com/watch?v=SPjKs8NuY4sinb4 VICETry to debunk the video without saying "Vice is imperialist propaganda with an agenda."

16 months ago

Isaiah Gonzalez

If life there is so great why do people literally risk their lives to defect?Plenty of defectors go back, or profess to have worse lives in South Korea or China. Clearly you haven't read the thread, why are you attempting to argue in bad faith with imperialist talking points?

see22802862280296

16 months ago

Anthony Mitchell

I was talking about North Korea specifically. You're happy to see them struggle and you get some perverse enjoyment from it.You sound like you've consumed a YouTube video of Zizek and now think you are some psychoanalyst wizard.

Maybe this time it will. Marxism-Leninism didn't work beforeIt worked a thousand times better than anarchism, that would make anarchism the bottom of the barrel if we go by that. 70 years of being a superpower and going from a feudal peasant state to a space-faring modernized nation looks pretty functional to me. And the DPRK still exists.

Why should North Korea have a one-and-done policy when you yourself don't have one?What do you know about my policies?

one water park per 20 millionTrotsky syndrome. Stalin builds kindergardens, yet it's not enough. It's never enough. You won't shut up until every single North Korean lives like a surgeon in Switzerland. Otherwise it can't be real socialism, can it?

Most countries require them to get a visaSo, most countries do ban them. Considering how impossible this endeavour is.

North Korean government sends workers to Poland to be exploited by capitalists then collects their paychecks.I watched the video, I think it makes a huge drama about something like a guest worker. We don't know anything about these people, for all we know they might be convicts. I don't think they would resort to such things if they could openly and mutually trade with other countries - Kaesong area is closed and so are the SEZ. In fact, South Korea shots people who try to go back to work in there.archive.fo/DWDDk

16 months ago

Michael Martin

Also, try to respond to my other arguments before opening up a whole new can of worms and try to use less gish-galloping

16 months ago

John Miller

im new so idk why that didnt work but literally ctrl+f defectors

16 months ago

Gabriel Stewart

You sound like you've consumed a YouTube video of Zizek and now think you are some psychoanalyst wizard.Not at all. Although your blind loyalty to DPRK and your staunch defense of a dictator is kinda weird.

It worked a thousand times better than anarchismsays North Korea is shit because of sanctionsevery anarchist commune/country gets attacked by M-Lstotally anarchism's faultYou're intellectually dishonest.

You won't shut up until every single North Korean lives like a surgeon in Switzerland. Otherwise it can't be real socialism, can it?Again, misrepresenting arguments and building strawmen. You named *one*, single water park. And in your mind that's evidence of there being water parks all over the DPRK for North Koreans to enjoy.

So, most countries do ban them. Considering how impossible this endeavour is.Just because their glorious leader created a hostile environment so that no country will put an embassy in the DPRK. If North Koreans can visit Laos, or Indonesia, why don't they go to an embassy there and get a visa?

What's the process of getting issues a DPRK passport as a North Korean?

I think it makes a huge drama about something like a guest worker.What about the worker's testimony that he isn't allowed to keep his earnings, but they get sent to the DPRK?

for all we know they might be convictsFor all we know maybe they begged the government to send them there. Maybe this is actually a reward to them! Who knows!

When faced with a lack of information, you seem to assume the best. Why? I don't know. History tells us that when governments cover things up, they usually do it to hide things which are embarassing or bad, you assume that when the DPRK hides things, they're hiding evidence of a paradise on Earth.

Yes, fun parks and leisure parks exist in the DPRK. Here's a video of a guy who went to a ski resort in the DPRK to snowboard: youtube.com/watch?v=7PF5dS89iG4

But again, the resort is empty, which leads me to believe these kinds of places are reserved for DPRK's upper class, friends of Un and people like that. Now you can speculate and say maybe North Koreans hate skiing, or maybe he went on a day when people were sick, and you can come up with a million reasons why it's empty, yet the simplest one is that it's empty because most North Koreans don't have access to it.

Do you not think that if majority of citizens of DPRK enjoyed fun parks and water parks the DPRK would film it and show it to the world? Every little success they broadcast to the world, like the factories in the KCNA articles. Yet, as you yourself admitted, there is a lack of information.

But again, the resort is emptyNo, it wasn't empty, just nobody was skilled enough to ski on difficult slopes and the actual resort wasn't filmed too much, so not many were filmed.At a certain ( youtu.be/7PF5dS89iG4?t=492 ) point in the video you can see at least 30 North Koreans.

16 months ago

Adrian Watson

*not many people

16 months ago

Josiah Scott

people unironically believe DPRK is a good place to livemuh propaganda proving american propaganda is propaganda

It's bullshit. It's like 90% pseudo-freudian analysis of "human nature". I will debunk or at least argue against it once I have time.

16 months ago

Michael Cook

how many times has this happened now?they should put out a collage of all supposed "killed" people that kept showing up after their executions

16 months ago

Gavin Sullivan

2366202U ok m8

16 months ago

Jaxson Bell

Saving this thread for later-- a bunch of alarmist idiots are freaking out that the DPRK is toootally gonna get invaded this time guise!!!2368245archive.fo/R6boTLet's revisit it in a couple months and see if the big invasion has happened.

Tankposter, would you mind giving your opinion on "The cleanest race" and BR Meyers' whole take on North Korea? To summarize, he claims that socialism in the DPRK is vestigial, and the regime's actual appeals to the people are based on appeals to racial purity. He differentiates between various circles of propaganda, with the official English and Korean-language news being aimed at foreigners primarily, while internal propaganda aimed at the workers and peasants has a wholly different thrust. Juche is not something that is internally propagandized or taught, and by consequence only superficially known by the people.

He throws me for a loop because he contradicts the typical liberal propaganda of the DPRK being a totalitarian state that relies on force to maintain the regime and is desperately poor. His version has the DPRK being more or less a typically lower income Asian country, with a government that relies mostly on being seen as legitimate via propaganda, which it succeeds at because many people migrate to and from China proving they do not actually want to leave, and is internally fairly nonviolent.

I can't quite see what his angle is with his undermining of the typical propaganda against the DPRK, and don't know if there are deep studies disproving his claims based on primary sources. Is he controlled opposition against the main narrative?

It's bullshit. It's like 90% pseudo-freudian analysis of "human nature"I don't remember any of this. I remember mostly his analysis of the portraits of Kim always listening to the people and being extremely paternal which you can't deny. Even Today pretty much every single picture of KJU has people following him around with notepads like he is able to provide guidance on absolutely everything. I would also like to see you address the fact that cites internal propaganda as evidence of the racial and nationalist shit (which they very obviously still use to this day)

16 months ago

Bentley Sullivan

2369960how can you oppose feudalism using the tools of your lord lmaot. (You)

16 months ago

Brody Brown

As I said, I'm currently really busy and I'll come arround and critique this book, but that would also require completely reading it which would take some time. I have only read excerpts of it and saw two full lectures of Myers on YouTube, from what I was seeing was that his sources are not fraudulent or anything, I think the conclusions he made were ludicrous. For example, he often equates anti-Americanism as racism. He met a defector girl and she turned her head away from him as he approached her, and he uses that as an example of racism. He also shows propaganda pictures that portray enemies shadily, and claims that this is inherent racism. He doesn't actually provide hard evidence for it, his assessments miss the reality of life in the DPRK which employ black teachers and give support to black and African liberation movements. They are not racists, and I think you can criticize Juche and the DPRK ideological superstructure differently than just pulling the racist card.

I mean, he does use "human nature" a lot and psychoanalyses quite a bit. I can provide quotes once I have time, and I also still need to respond to that anarchist poster. Myer's statement that Korean culture is influenced by imperial Japan isn't wrong, but then he goes on and on about how the DPRK was actually admiring Japan and South Korea was more hostile to it, which I think is the most dishonest part. Of course Korean culture is is influenced by Japanese culture, who ever denied that? He said that the North favored Japanese speaking people, whereas the South imprisoned or killed them - and that supposedly proves that Kim il-Sing secretly admired the Japanese and wanted to model the DPRK after fascist Japan. This is for example a part where Myers is openly dishonest. The reason why the South imprisoned Japanese speaking people was because that as a result of Japanese colonialism, the intellectual elites of Korea spoke Japanese, and simultaneously the South had quite a genocidal anti-intellectual campaign going on because they were suspected to be commies. Meanwhile, the North with its communist ideology revered intellectuals who happened to speak Japanese. That's just one part I remember because I got quite angry about it.

People like Myers are actually the more dangerous propagandists because they cloak themselves in supposed "left-liberal rationalism" - Myers himself spends a good amount of time to criticize other books about the DPRK quite harshly, because they were ridiculous in painting the North Koreans as crazy people. He stages his critique as this rational, unbiased investigation of North Korea from a liberal perspective, so he automatically appeals to left-liberal redditors who start off by already having an extremly negative bias about the DPRK, so some psychoanalytic babble about North Koreans not being communists but racist dwarfs (how is this not super-racist in itself?) just plays into their confirmation bias.

He said that the North favored Japanese speaking people, whereas the South imprisoned or killed them - and that supposedly proves that Kim il-Sing secretly admired the Japanese and wanted to model the DPRK after fascist Japan.Wasn't his claim that the North incorporated the ethnically Korean bureaucracy that the Japanese had set up, rather than that they favored Japanese speakers? The latter would be innocuous, but the former is perhaps more problematic. It would imply that the DPRK did not have the thorough épuration that many other fascist-occupied states had, with an attendant lack of a reckoning with the cultural aspects of fascism.Of course it is idle speculation absent a look into the sources he used either way.

Wasn't his claim that the North incorporated the ethnically Korean bureaucracy that the Japanese had set up, rather than that they favored Japanese speakers? The latter would be innocuous,I mean, this is also especially fucking awful, since the ROK government was literally identical to the Japanese occupation (IE same personnel even) other than a change of figureheads.

16 months ago

Jacob Butler

Also, didn't most Northern collaborators flee to the South after the Provisional People’s Committee organized land reform in 1946?

16 months ago

David Gonzalez

23021042303052Taiwan officialy uses a similar calendar which begins in the year of the founding of the Republic of China, which happens to be the same year Kim il Sung was born. 2018 is Year of the Republic 107 and also Juche 107.

Thanks for the video. Also thanks for pointing out the independent journalists.

It is a shame that they do not have greater reach and instead the corporate media have far greater coverage and influence.

The problem of corporate media pushing the disinformation about the DPRK, having the same effect as advertisement has, makes it hard to convince people otherwise. And because most of the independent and unbiased journalism is in english, how do you convince people around you to not believe these for you obvious lies. Especially if they cannot speak or understand any english.

And also what is a pathetic young proletarian aspiring to be a labour aristocrat supposed to do in the face of western imperialism having its stranglehold on the entire earth?

Join the communist party? How to yank out the fellow proles out of indifference to international issues? Especially when they are fed daily propaganda about those evil refugees and terrorists. No wonder they resort to nationalism and trade protectionism and everything that will ensure them a good wage despite the natural tendencies of capitalism to impoverish everyone but the biggest capitalists themselves.

Defending the DPRK makes you a social outcast. It's basically on the same level as Holocaust denial in the liberal minds. I've mildly succeeded in having somewhat civil debates with anti-communists about the good sides of the USSR and other countries, but that the DPRK is literally Hitler is basically an axiom at this point.

Watch google glass secret video of PyongyangWow, it's so quiet and empty and bleak, how sadA Lincoln Navigator drives byHuh, how oddGuy walks in "The Privileged Store"Buys Sony brand batteriesPeruses Giorgio Armani cologneHol up hold the fuck upNone of these would be allowed in the DPRK! They're filthy capitalism!realize this must have been filmed in the desolate mega cities of Chinarealize this is yet again the capitalist government making propagandarealize I may have never actually seen what North Korea looks like because my government restricts the internet like they say North Korea doesrealize Kim Jong Un may just be an actor meant to portray the "megalomaniacal dictator"How do we know that North Korea isn't already lightyears in the future and all the flying saucers are from the DPRK?

If they weren't socialist, how could they have survived as a country for so long with the entire world against them? You can't have a secure, self-sufficient state with capitalism, the companies will just sell all of your most valuable shit.

16 months ago

Isaiah Carter

holy fuck read Marx

16 months ago

Parker Martin

The DPRK as a government isn't really that much of an improvement over the preceding Korean Empire which was also ruled by an absolute monarchy. I'm on the fence about sanctions against the DPRK. On one hand, there doesn't seem to be any way to pressure the Kim dynasty into reforming to a more transparent and democratic government beyond sanctions to build up internal tensions. On the other hand, the current sanctions are implemented for the wrong reasons (ie. DPRK's nuclear deterrence is irrelevant to the issue of human rights, something the US never really gave a shit about), and the North Korean citizens could be so brainwashed that millions may be willing to starve to death before revolting. It really is a dilemma.

No, it is objectively a poor use of resources for a reclusive country that has very little resources to begin with. The DPRK is a totalitarian monarchy no better than the ones in the Middle East and Northern Africa.

16 months ago

Owen Butler

reclusivelmaototalitarian monarchy no better than the ones in MENAWhy do you people keep making the same claims which have already debunked ITT?

No, it is objectively a poor use of resourcesWhat the fuck user, I was replying to that very accusation and you don't respond to my argument other than saying "no". You are either an alienated liberal or from /pol/ because you seem to be embossed by the law of value regulating eveything in your life. Here is the thing: If the DPRK would not do this, you would whine about how North Korea "ignores rural people" or some shit. Seriously, get fucked.

The DPRK is a totalitarian monarchyIf I was a kid living on a rock in the ocean and a "totalitarian monarchy" would take care of getting me an education like all the other kids I'd quite like that "totalitarian monarchy". Why are you so mad?

16 months ago

Aiden Hughes

I like that picture in particular because there is some incredible underlying smugness in the face of Kim Jong Un's sister, and Pence was truly behaving like the ultimate beta cuck when he refused to shake hands etc.

Hardly making a case for the DPRK here, all patriotism and nationalism is a spook

16 months ago

Daniel Jones

Perhaps because they continued trade with their existing partners?

16 months ago

Nolan Hall

Patriotism in the USA is deeply embossed by capitalism as a form of identity. It's national founding myth is literally a subscription to liberal values of private property and free association. This is very different from nationalism of oppressed nations, which have been suffering under capitalism instead of reaping its fruits, which can make it more progressive. American nationalism is always pro-capitalist by definition.

9 in 10 of of these "relations" ceased existance since half a century regardless of no official "termination", have been frozen due to sanctions/political pressure for decades and defacto do not exist or never felll under the common definition of "established diplomatic relations"

That's because you're from a non country. You should try to live in a real country so you can see how a nation operates and how there's nothing wrong with nationalism.You want to know what is a real country? Those in green :)

reddit.com/r/ActLikeYouBelong/comments/7x9a2m/north_korean_cheerleaders/they are clapping because they'll be shot if they don'tthat guy standing there is the secret police to report any who don't clapwhy don't they all run away?it's sickening to see these women 'cheering'what’s disturbing is that they practiced this for hours and hours and hoursin which the concept of cheerleading is entirely lost on reddit

Honestly the average redditor's views on the dprk are so incredibly delusional and out of touch with reality it's amazing. It's practically a cartoon-villain out of touch delusionality. Like, these people really believe that the DPRK is wasting precious time and energy just going around spying on their own citizens and slaughtering families because one dude ran off. Like, I don't understand how people can believe that such a country would function, let alone become one with nuclear missiles capable of reaching the US. Like, do they not realize how incredibly self destructive it would be to kill an entire family because one of them stopped clapping or some shit? And then here's the biggest thing, if life really is so incredibly shitty that it's a living hell where you can't even go outside without being threatened with slave labor camps, then why the fuck don't they rebel? Like, if people started an actual rebellion in the dprk let's not pretend that the US and other western powers wouldn't intervene here, and yet I've scarcely heard a thing about rebellion aside from the occasional defector who gives yet another contradictory soap opera about the living hell that is the dprk, only to find him or herself living a shit life in SK as well.

And this doesn't even get me started on their cheerleaders in particular. Like, apparently a person in the dprk can't even smile without being held at gunpoint, and any supervisor they might have can only exist to report their behavior to the Big K so he can enslave their family at a moment's notice, and not, I dunno, to make sure they're safe and don't get lost, and to make sure that people from outside their country don't fuck with them or something. It isn't as if the MSM has made the DPRK an international oddity or something.

And of course, if anyone questions this blatant propaganda they'll just downvote and move on.

I mean, I can't even say that I'm all that supportive of the DPRK in many ways, but it's hard not to get forced into becoming an ubertankie DPRK apologist when trying to combat the misinformation and propaganda about the country, and it gets so fucking exhausting.

The major difference between patriotic depictions of major historical figures ( at least in the American sense) and DPRK's cult of personality is the status that is placed on them. For example, in the United States, we have many statues and monuments dedicated to George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, and while we remember the contributions they gave to their community, state, or nation, we are also aware that they were human. They had flaws, can be criticized, and are generally acknowledged to be dead, and there are no laws requiring their deification.

This is not the case in DPRK. Legally and culturally, the leaders are considered perfect. While it sounds absurd to think that Kim Jong Il never pooped, voicing any opinion to that affect in the DPRK will result in quick and brutal punishment. The Kims have crafted a cult of personality around themselves to demand loyalty and obedience to them. Kim Il Sung is their eternal dear leader and father. Kim Jong Il is their eternal great leader and eternal general secretary of the party. Any disagreement with the legacy of the Kims or denying their perfection is treated as treasonous, and there is an established network of internal policing that's always looking for such acts.

It's these brutal punishments and extensive spying that answers question of why they don't rebel. The citizens are constantly watched by their friends, family, and neighbors to ensure loyalty to the leadership. They can never really trust anyone.

a bunch of ridiculous claimsnot a single source in sightimagine my shock

I'm not even that big of a DPRK supporter, but if you're seriously gonna claim that North Koreans believe that Kim Jong-Il didn't shit (or that implying he did will immediately get you punished), you're gonna have to provide some evidence if you wish to be taken seriously. Do better.

It's especially ridiculous since he had such a big mouth and claimed that he is just about to drop the truth bomb on us, yet his post was extremly disappointing and read like a Huffington Post article.

16 months ago

William Mitchell

mention that North Koreans are made to believe that the Kims do not poopthis invalidates everything

You … didn't actually read anything, did you?

It's not that they believe that the Kims do not poop, but they're made to believe the Kims do not poop, along with Kim Jung Il being born on Mount Paektu and that Kim Il Sung single-handedly defeated the Japanese in World War 2. It's similar to the exaggerated grief you saw when Kim Jung Il died. It's not that they were sad, but they were expected to ridiculously grieve for the great leader or else face punishment.

What's funny to me is that you're defending a capitalist, gangster fiefdom simply because they're against the United States and other capitalist western powers.Truly crazy indeed, Zig Forums should vigorously condemn every so-called socialist state because it makes us look bad in front of liberals, even if it means using propaganda and forgeries of intelligence community origin, until real communism comes afoot.

16 months ago

Cameron Ramirez

fuck off liberal

16 months ago

Nicholas Ward

Oh of course. The oppressive government has just coerced every citizen into spying on each other while providing no reason for the citizens to be loyal at all. I'm sorry, but this is completely absurd. A state that is built on the level of senseless cruelty that is attributed to the dprk is completely unsustainable, and yet somehow they've managed to be one of the last standing socialist nations in existence. This just doesn't make any sense

16 months ago

Nathaniel Bell

This just doesn't make any sense

Just because you, sitting in your comfortable home, freely discussing topics with strangers on the internet, can't comprehend it doesn't mean it isn't real.

Have you ever read 1984? The DPRK tries incredibly hard to control access to information. Citizens are born, live, and die in the world the state wants them to believe is real. From there comes peer pressure to conform, as North Korea has the Inminban, neighborhood hood watch organizations, that support state security by informing on criminal activity or political disobedience. In addition, freedom of movement is non-existent, so information from one area rarely travels to another. These measures make rebellion a Herculian effort. Even during the famine in the 90s, when hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of North Koreans died, the government's control of information prevented any sort of political disobedience outside of a black market.

North Korea isn't the "last socialist nation in existence". North Korea isn't socialist. It's a hereditary, totalitarian dictatorship, a criminal enterprise on global scale. Goods are "redistributed" to the ruling elite in Pyongyang, who in turn pass them on to their cronies. Their continued existence is a testament to their control of information and their ability to threaten the world.

burgerstan literally blocks its own citizens from seeing wicked DPRK "propaganda". not suspicious at all, thank god I don't live in that alleged totalitarian hellhole we're all supposed to hate amirite?

How democratic is the Democratic People's Republic, really? Can citizens openly criticize the government?

When arguing with liberals I can make a good argument against any military intervention in the DPRK. And I can point to the hypocrisy of the west condemning the DPRK for being poor and not having the same living standards as western countries (or ROK) while at the same time doing their absolute best to starve their people with cruel sanctions. But if the DPRK is actually democratic, then successfully convincing a liberal of that must be an impossible task.

15 months ago

Elijah Martin

Does the DPRK have a collection of leftist books? Like a library containing the writings of Stalin, De Leon, Trotsky, Lenin, Che, Gaddafi etc.? I wonder how well-read the DPRK is in the different leftist ideologies and their political beliefs/goals.

15 months ago

Austin Richardson

Summoning the tank user that went to North Korea and knows a fuck ton to answer this question.

15 months ago

Daniel Powell

Defining aspect of monarchywrong. There are elective monarchies (See, HRE) and there are non-hereditary monarchies (See, Roman Empire)

The defining aspect of a monarchy is the funny hat. To be the cultural icon. The only thing stopping Kim from being an undisputed icon, (even by the images own talk) is that he has not taken the title of "Emperor" of Korea. (Which he will not, unless he controls South Korea to.)

b-but north korea sends families of defectors to the gulag!!!11This is claimed all the fucking time, if I got a dime everytime this is said I'd be rich - yet I've actually never ever heard that this was the case. Pretty much every defector story is about seperation from their family members (for which South Korea is responsible btw).

Does anyone know how illegal it is in the USA to spread propaganda for the DPRK? Does it depend on whether or not you actually communicate with the DPRK? Where does the law draw the line?

15 months ago

Brayden Baker

Does anyone know how illegal it is in the USA to spread propaganda for the DPRK?Ten years of prison rape. are you seriously asking for legal advice on a laotian throat singing appreciation club?

15 months ago

Nathaniel Ward

Those must be the same gulags which supposedly have 3 generations of punishment while at the same time supposedly having death penalty for pregnancy.Why can't anti DPRK propagandists get their stories straight?

They're crying because they have to return to north korea and KIM is personally going to kill them once they step out the bus!

15 months ago

Joshua Martinez

Mein Kampf is barely autobiographical, it's pretty obvious you've never read it. The autobiographical sections are mixed in or serve as lead ups to his world-view

15 months ago

Wyatt Reyes

this, KJU said "ice skaters are a kind of human Popsicle that I feed to my pet wolves"

15 months ago

Brody Brooks

I've tried to remove that after I asked them to source this a couple of times and since it's without a source since a year or so. Mods changed it back immediatly in a super fast reaction time.

Notice how everything else in the introduction is sourced except this. There is also not a single other Wiki article about a real existing country in which the introductory paragraph misses fucking sources,

Most political Wiki pages are straight up written by PR firms and intel agencies. Marxists need to make their own wiki. I am beginning to think I need to create it myself, but I am currently trying to learn about the software and its privacy features first.

15 months ago

Colton James

I am one of the few people who am still kind of worried about how the US will respond to NK.The US is retracting diplomats from NK. It seems as though the US is uninterested in peace at any level. However the reports that American counter missiles tests were a complete and utter failure does seem like it would be a stupid idea to go through with it. However it seems as if tensions between the two countries have only increased rather than decrease.I have no idea what to think of the situation to be honest. Would NK even be able to handle the US if they were to go to war? I think a war would only ferment Donald Trump's popularity and it would be an easy way for the GOP to be able to secure their positions in mid-term elections.However even with all the news that we are only heading towards war, I still have doubts that this is even possible at all. The Chinese could just stop trading with the US and thus utterly halt the US military's infrastructure. Not only that, but the US would lose a bunch of allies even if their goal was successful.When an empire is in decline, it is often that they will do some stupid shit in order to futility to still rule.

15 months ago

William Collins

Failing Empire seeks to resolve political crises at home by crushing troublesome but highly militarized pariah stateI'm not trying to be an alarmist but one too many miscommunications and bluff calls could cause things to spiral out of control. It's tempting to assume every alliance will hold up and cooler heads will prevail but that isn't always the case.

I need to correct me, today the 22rd Party convention of the DKP. And the party voted for a ban of members from the "Netzwerk"

15 months ago

Hudson Baker

Kim Jong Un Meets Members of Delegation of Special Envoy of S. Korean President

Shaking hands of the special envoy and his party one by one, the respected Supreme Leader warmly welcomed them on their visit to Pyongyang.

Jong Ui Yong courteously handed over the personal letter of Moon Jae In to the Supreme Leader.

The members of the special envoy delegation thanked the Supreme Leader for dispatching the high-level delegation and various large-scale delegations with the 23rd Winter Olympics as a momentum so that they were held successfully.

Expressing thanks for this, he said that it is natural to be glad at the auspicious event of the fellow countrymen of the same blood and help it. The Winter Olympics served as a very important occasion in demonstrating the stamina and prestige of our nation at home and abroad and providing a good atmosphere of reconciliation, unity and dialogue between the north and the south, he added.

He had an openhearted talk with the party of the special envoy delegation of the south side over the issues arising in actively improving the north-south relations and ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

He repeatedly clarified that it is our consistent and principled stand and his firm will to vigorously advance the north-south relations and write a new history of national reunification by the concerted efforts of our nation to be proud of in the world.

Hearing the intention of President Moon Jae In for a summit from the special envoy of the south side, he exchanged views and made a satisfactory agreement.

He gave the important instruction to the relevant field to rapidly take practical steps for it.

He also made an exchange of in-depth views on the issues for easing the acute military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and activating the versatile dialogue, contact, cooperation and exchange.

The talk between the Supreme Leader and the delegation of the special envoy of President Moon Jae In took place in a compatriotic and sincere atmosphere.

You're an unironical succdem and a namefag, think you are slandering the DPRK? You are complimenting her.

15 months ago

Aiden Rodriguez

feudalHow exactly are they feudal? Where are the serfs who are tied to the land?

15 months ago

Charles Walker

We must critically support Donald Trump in his struggle against North Korean imperialism.

15 months ago

Nathaniel Fisher

especially given that there are more worthwhile projects here dedicated to things that aren't lost causesName one.

15 months ago

Michael Parker

what is essentially a feudal monarchyfeudalover 70% of the laborers are proles who live in the citydo you have brain damage m8?

15 months ago

Oliver Perez

Tank user, do you believe and generally argue that the DPRK is democratic, or that the lack of democracy is mostly because of outside forces constantly trying to subvert the sovereignty of the state and that free elections would only help them achieve that?

Also, how do you generally debunk the "prison camp" shit?

15 months ago

Isaac Anderson

2302704They actually did, briefly. Like most things in the soviet union, it failed.

Not him, but I'll point a few things out:1. DPRK conducts votes and people's conventions to elect candidates, allows multiple non-bourgeois parties, has tons of co-ops, and has many other polling mechanisms. This is democratic by superficial Western standards, so most Westerners just screech and claim it's all a sham (as opposed to what, Western electoral systems? lmao).2. Even if there wasn't a SINGLE VOTE conducted in the DPRK, even if all other political parties were banned, even if all the workplaces were managed by top-down hierarchy, it would STILL be a hundred times more democratic on a fundamental level than ANY country that doesn't have: free healthcare, free housing, free education, full employment, and any number of other pro-worker, pro-people measures and achievements that are taken by the DPRK state. Period.

Also, how do you generally debunk the "prison camp" shit?Two things (btw, this was all discussed previously ITT and you can go read it, check out the archive in the OP too):1. Half the evidence is literally just satellite photos of prisons and other miscellaneous facilities. Nobody is denying that there are normal socialist prisons in the DPRK, there is no society in history that has abolished prisons. The photos don't show anything uniquely sinister or evil going on.2. The other half is paid (literally CIA and ROK govt pay tens of thousands of dollars) testimonies by a select few defectors. Most defectors don't agree with the stories, and they are contradicted by plenty of evidence which, again, you can find ITT if you dig in.

15 months ago

Jose Gutierrez

Tank user, do you believe and generally argue that the DPRK is democraticHard to say. I'd argue that there are grassroot structures which I would definitely called democratic, such as worker councils, local councils, committees, etc. - I don't see any reason that they would be manipulated, because, just like it is in the West, local elections are usually dislodged from the national politics, as they would concern themselves with local problems and issues. It would be ridiculous to say that the WPK leadership has any interest in manipulating a vote inside agricultural cooperative number 27.

The Supreme People's Assembly regularly changes is members every election. It has more variation in this regard than most western parliament. The deputies certainly aren't glued to their seat in this regard.

Polls arround defectors show positive results for Kim Jong Un and the North Korean leadership. It could be argued that most North Koreans do not feel a particular quarrel with their leadership based on that.

I'm sure you can't question socialism, the WPK or denounce Kim Jong Un. This would not be tolerated at all.

Elections are secret. As it was with most Marxist-Leninist countries, the options on the ballot are limited, because emphasis is put on the nomination process, through mass organizations and the election itself is sort of a failsafe. The DPRK, just like the GDR did, has a front of national unity, consisting of the WPK, a SocDem party and a Confucian party. It's not a one-party-state. They decide upon their percentage of seats beforehand, and North Koreans decide to approve of this percentage of seats in the Supreme People's Assembly in the election. They can cross candidates out they don't like. However, in the GDR, you had to fold your ballot when you rejected the national unity front, therefore, everybody knew if you disapproved of it. This led to a bit of a defect of democracy on the GDR, as you had to fear repercussions when you voted against the consensus. In the DPRK, there are voter's booths without any folding. This means, your disapproval would be secret. Whether or not elections are manipulated is impossible to tell. We know that North Koreans support their leadership and have experienced a rise in living quality, and again, we can't prove a negative.

I went to the DPRK and I didn't see elections, but I was introduced to a room in a cooperative dedicated to worker council meetings and a room in a factory where they told us that the computers had a software where you could submit input and criticism to the factory committee.

that the lack of democracy is mostly because of outside forces constantly trying to subvert the sovereignty of the state and that free elections would only help them achieve that?I don't think so, because there are no polticial affiliations in the DPRK which are disloyal to the state. Democracy is more direct than indirect, so delegates really just care about their duties and less about their polticial affiliation. It's similar im Cuba.

If you define democracy as rule of the masses, the masses are in power in North Korea.

Also, how do you generally debunk the "prison camp" shit?We have no hard evidence of those. Most defector stories are conflicting or have been debunked as a lie. The only evidence we have are satellite photos of rectangular buildings. They don't prove anything. Surely there are prisons in North Korea. How is the quality of these prisons? Well, how is the living quality of the average North Korean? It's like that just a bit lower. Like in every country. If the average North Korean citizen doesn't have the most balanced diet due to sanctions, the average prisoner probably has it worse.

I'm sorry I'm currently on my phone in a hotel room but I hope my answer was somewhat sufficient

I'm really busy recently but I'm glad to see this thread about socialist Korea is still alive :)

Real shit, is the DPRK actually going to open up and tell us what the actual fuck is going on. If it does, can be it done through non-violent means?

Would a united Korea actually give us insight as to what actually happens in the DPRK as opposed to "my dad works at Nintendo" tier annecdotes?

15 months ago

Luis Nguyen

is the DPRK actually going to open up and tell us what the actual fuck is going onWhat? What does this mean, what does it entail?

If it does, can be it done through non-violent means? The DPRK is committed to peace, they developed their nukes for the sake of peace and Korean unification. There won't be any violence on the Korean peninsula no matter how much the USA shrieks.

Would a united Korea actually give us insight as to what actually happens in the DPRK as opposed to "my dad works at Nintendo" tier annecdotes?There would probably be more video blogging and tourism from there, which is the best kind of info we can hope for other than DPRK state sources. More academic studies too. However, the more Korea unites, the more the USA is going to flood the airwaves with liquid shit to try and drown the truth out. Since you're a Westerner, you would have to challenge yourself (which you're not doing right now) to actually do the research and be critical.

15 months ago

Brody Anderson

2. Even if there wasn't a SINGLE VOTE conducted in the DPRK, even if all other political parties were banned, even if all the workplaces were managed by top-down hierarchy, it would STILL be a hundred times more democratic on a fundamental level than ANY country that doesn't have: free healthcare, free housing, free education, full employment, and any number of other pro-worker, pro-people measures and achievements that are taken by the DPRK state. Period.That really doesn't hold up as an argument. You could have carefully cared-for chattel slaves who received all those things and yet are stripped of any legal choice in their own life.

15 months ago

Ryder Rodriguez

if you were holding slavesyou know that the point isn't to "give them free shit" on all imaginable levels?that kinda negates the whole reasoning behind exploitationyour scenario and equivalence just doesn't hold up against realitybut i'm talking with an anarchist, so why even bother pointing that out

15 months ago

Luis Lopez

That [analysis of shit that actually happened] doesn't hold up as an argument.You could have [something completely ridiculous and imaginary happen that would contract your analysis].

15 months ago

Nicholas Brooks

You know that in order to own slaves, they need housing and they need food in order to work which you may well have to provide simply on the basis that slaves do not necessarily receive income that can pay for their own sustenance, and unless you have no serious intent to keep them alive, they need medical treatment, which they also can't afford for themselves?(>anarchist literally starts arguing for slavery to "make a point" against Korea)

15 months ago

Blake Gonzalez

alsofull employmentBy definition of being a slave this is a self-fulfilling conditionfree educationThis is the only contestable one, but it's not like there haven't been exceptionally well-educated slaves throughout history

15 months ago

Dylan Murphy

there are more worthwhile projects hereHere as in leftypol? since when is this an organizing platform and not a shitposting bonanza?

The over a dozen US military bases in Syria are weak and in the process of being crushed by Turkey. To deal with this, they've struck a deal with the Assad government. Assad, in turn, is a close ally of the DPRK, who have provided the Syrian government with assistance in military logistics, armaments, infrastructure and more.

Obviously the DPRK, Syria and the over a dozen US military bases in Syria all represent massively different ideologies from one-another, but I think it's worth acknowledging the mutual assistance provided.

15 months ago

Isaiah Bell

What the fuck happened with that reply even. Some kinda fuckup on my end, here's a fix.

The over a dozen US military bases in Syria are weak and in the process of being crushed by Turkey. To deal with this, they've struck a deal with the Assad government. Assad, in turn, is a close ally of the DPRK, who have provided the Syrian government with assistance in military logistics, armaments, infrastructure and more.

Obviously the DPRK, Syria and the over a dozen US military bases in Syria all represent massively different ideologies from one-another, but I think it's worth acknowledging the mutual assistance provided

15 months ago

Bentley Mitchell

Oh. Fucks sake.

15 months ago

Cameron Richardson

so firstly you actually believe that the 2 antiimperialist genuine allies Syria and DPRK are on the same side as over a dozen US military bases in Syria, allied to the USA, which former both oppose?

based on Syria currently not wasting their resources on trying to attack US military directly and having to deal with ethno-nationalists that are incapable of defending itself against yet another ally of their ally, turkey?

it's a clusterfuck, but not to see through this and get so confused takes a special kind of dumbass

15 months ago

Leo Sanders

The Kurds are not 'allies' of Syria and the DPRK, I only refer to the alliance of convenience they've struck in Afrin. In the sense that if you support the Kurds and want them to succeed (the matter of whether they're just American puppets or not aside), you by extension should acknowledge the joint efforts of anti-imperialist movements in currently aiding their survival.

I don't support the Kurds as an fyi. I think communalism has a few interesting traits and I like some of the things I've heard about local organization in their territory in Syria, but their assistance with the US makes it irrelevant. They may benefit some actors in Syria along the border, but that doesn't change what their function is to the US.

Kim Jong Un and Trump will meet up together "by May". I wonder if Trump'll go to the DMZ area for the meeting. Kim's also pledged to stop nuclear tests. I don't know what he wants to achieve by this or if it's an good idea to even sit down with the US

15 months ago

Justin Foster

It is a good idea if he has far-reaching nukes already. If they engage in diplomacy by ceasing their tests, they can still continue to standardize new missile technology into their arsenal over the course of several months. This doesn't require missile testing if they already have "good enough" technology to hit their greatest enemies. America has to sit down and talk while north korea ceases testing and uses pre-existing successful tech to improve their arsenal. A couple months of diplomacy would also be great for reducing tension and possibly removing sanctions while DPRK implements agriculture and workplace reform and "dig in" by building new tunnels, digging new trenches, and making and implementing weapons systems to prepare for a possible future war after diplomacy ends.

Well shit. What if he just hides his nukes and pretends he removed them?

15 months ago

Alexander White

I only know it's gonna be awkward as fuck considering the banter these two have exchanged. Trump going to North Korean does seem like a symbolic defeat though.

15 months ago

Ian Ortiz

I thought about that too. I just don't understand why Kim would do this, the last thing he should be doing is weakening his nation against imperialist powers like the United States, who are quite clearly inclined to destroy the DPRK at the first provocation. I guess we'll have to see what happens though

15 months ago

Justin Sullivan

Since there is no way intelligence can get into North Korea, this might very well work. The thing is, it doesn't matter whether you hide your nukes or really dismantle them, because if the US wants a reason to attack you or put sanctions on you, they'll just make up shit about you having nukes.

15 months ago

Michael Adams

They have stated over and over that they would freeze their program, but to never every give up what they already have. Remember that the source for this is Trump's fucking Twitter account

15 months ago

Carter Bell

Stop being so fucking gullible. The DPRK will not give up its nukes.

15 months ago

Josiah Peterson

To be fair, the South Korean delegation at the WH that made the announcement said similar things. I can't see it happening though honestly unless Kim is truly retardedyoutube.com/watch?v=BhluZWUTY7A

15 months ago

Hunter Cruz

Not that the ROK is any more trustworthy than the US

15 months ago

Carter Reyes

I agree. History has taught us that giving up your weapons will only get you killed, no matter how nice the enemy may seem. This happened with several middle eastern countries that America was enemies with, and will happen again if we forget the lessons of the past. For the DPRK to give up its arsenal would be the biggest strategic disaster they could possibly make.

15 months ago

Juan Taylor

Trump successfully cucked the Communists with sanctions and they have to save their starving regime from imploding it's really that simple. Trump isolated North Korea and even made China give up on them so now they are cucking. I can't wait for Trump to humiliate little Kim further maybe call him Rocket man to his face and tell him point blank in his fat face that sanctions will stay in place until he gives up all his nukes.

15 months ago

Nicholas Sanders

NSDAP flagsucking the dick of a billionaire with a Jewish daughter who props up imperialist satellites like Israel

15 months ago

Lincoln Roberts

you're sucking the dick of an obese third generation monarch of failed state

15 months ago

Andrew Reyes

XD

15 months ago

Christian Nguyen

Real /pol/acks support best korea.

Go back to r/the_donald you filth.

15 months ago

Blake Mitchell

If you were smart you'd be supporting a country that stands up to ZOG Occupied Government and has an ideology like juche. Great to see that /pol/ supports American foreign policy now!

15 months ago

Carter Johnson

/pol/the_donald: fuck countries that don't stand with israel and aren't controlled by the world bank!

covering up their architectural failure with a glass bodywhat are they hiding?

15 months ago

Jaxon Young

So I have no idea if my post had some influence but those the last lines in the Wikipedia article introduction which were without any sources and claimed that North Korea had generational punishment and that prisonders were subjected to "slave labour, malnutrition, torture, human experimentation, rape and arbitrary executions" have been finally deleted! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea

computers had a software where you could submit input and criticism to the factory committee.wheres the evidence that this is the case? or that the criticisms are addressed? You can understand if this questionable to ones on the outside.

15 months ago

Camden Jackson

didn't mean to sage

15 months ago

Lincoln Morgan

1.) The rooms full of computers in enterprises with intranet connection are real. It's not fake. They do function. It's not just that, they have facilities such as swimming pools, leisure areas, etc. - North Korean workers have breaks where they can study or relax.

2.) I have not seen the process of workers submitting feedback to the committee. I'm not hired by the DPRK, I am not a propagandist. I just report what I saw. We were told that this is the case, we have no further proof of it.

lol its fucking worse now, "human rights violations no parallel in modern world"face it, wikipedia is 100% controlled by the CIA. we need a marxist wiki, one run by marxist-leninists.

15 months ago

Ethan James

How good is the DPRK's military? Kyle Kulinski, in his news segments about North Korea, always says something about how small and shitty and how much of a non-threat their military is, but he never backs it up with numbers or anything (how much they spend on defense per year for example). He just goes "they can't keep the lights on at night!".

15 months ago

Evan Hall

I wouldn't be surprised if they had one of the best draft systems in the world. It seems like their military would be considered top priority to defend themselves against imperialism. Any invading power would have to be able to fight the war in Vietnam and win 10 times over.

15 months ago

Jaxson Wilson

smallIt's the fourth biggest army in the world, not even counting the Red Guard militas on the countryside. No idea why he would say that.

shittySome things are probably outdated, but it's not like that they only have WWII stuff. The majority of their tech is probably in somewhere in the middle, Iran tier, with a few things being quite top notch and a few things probably being really old.

In terms of organization and training I wouldn't underestimate them. When you can't acquire tech, you would focus a lot on tactical organization and training, would you not? North Korean special forces are basically made up of dozens of Bruce Lees:youtube.com/watch?v=NYBHjkxtAt4How effective this is in real combat, I really can't tell.

"they can't keep the lights on at night!"Which is caused by the lack of fuel, not by the lack of infrastructure. Oil supply would probably be the biggest problem for the KPA in a war, but China might support them in this case. But no matter how things really are, they would absolutely be able to shell Seoul. In a confrontation DPRK vs RoK without burger help I'd say the DPRK would win but with higher causalities.

how small and shitty and how much of a non-threat their military isthe saker did a big analysis and write up about it and concluded that the US would struggle significantly to subdue North Korea before the North switched to guerilla warfare. They're certainly behind in a lot of fields, for example air power, but they're also not a weak push over nation

15 months ago

James Kelly

Do they actually think that this kind of showmanship is impressive?

15 months ago

Bentley Moore

On /leftpol/ there's people that believe the homicide rate in DPRK is higher than in Liberia.

No, it's not. What's more impressive is showing off their capacity to conduct combat drills for modern war, not the sort of shit that got gunned down in the Boxer Rebellion.

15 months ago

Josiah Ortiz

this picholy fuck that looks dank as hell

The point of those physical combat drills is to demonstrate (and practice) endurance, pain tolerance, toughness, and mental fortitude, as well as martial arts which are STILL USEFUL in many cases. By any serious measure those DPRK special forces are clearly very excellent fighters. Western armies also have martial arts training and pain endurance training (such as the very common pepper spray test), they also do demonstrations. You act like the DPRK soldiers don't also train with guns and do gun demonstrations, you are clearly just a rabid chauvinist.

Do you think you personally could take on any of those guys in the video? Of course it's a bit of a show, but you really just need to check for how scary the similarities are to the DPRK in the Western world.

Also, much of this training is also supposed to harden mental and physical resiliance. You capture a KPA soldier, you won't get much out of him/her.

muh aircrafttypical western chauvinist obsessed with his fucking airplane toys. yeah if only the DPRK had a shipment of F35s, maybe some drones, then they wouldn't have to break a sweat with all that silly kung fu. and an aircraft carrier too, i saw those in the movies and they're very big!!!

15 months ago

Cooper Carter

Sadly, I got to say, it was weak as fuck. You score it by asking people who you meet for it.

Why the fuck would I be more impressed by hand to hand martial arts that probably have a kill count in the double digits since WWII, on either side? I'm struggling to see how you're not actively trying to make the DPRK supporters look like retards.

15 months ago

Austin Bailey

Is it frowned upon to get stoned over there or is it socially accepted? Did anyone you asked about weed tell you to fuck off or look at you funny or something?

This thread has made me wanna visit the DPRK so bad. I remember the thing you said about the old subway trains imported from the GDR. Seems like such an incredibly strange and interesting place.

How many fried north korean ashes litter the ground from napalm strikes again?

15 months ago

Jack Myers

Is it frowned upon to get stoned over there or is it socially accepted?The weed they have there is not particularly strong, so people don't really get high. As far as I'm informed, drugs are outlawed but weed isn't seen as a drug, so it's quasi legal. The strongest weed I've ever tried was in Nimbin, Australia. I got sold weed there in some backyard that made me laugh at a picture of a gnome for minutes.

I don't know how frequent it is in the DPRK to get intoxicated, but I can tell you this: I saw North Koreans getting drunk as fuck to the point where they stumbled out of building. They were not associated with our visitors group, but they visited the restaurants and bars we did as well. Also, drinking in public is allowed. There was this guy being super drunk and he was adviced to maybe go back home by a soldier.

Did anyone you asked about weed tell you to fuck off or look at you funny or something?When North Koreans are presented with a question they feel uncomfortable with, they act the typical Asian way: Smiling, avoiding eye contact, awkwardly laughing. I only asked a guy working for a hotel, and he said he grows it in the backyard and he provided us with stuff. He was having a big grin on his face though.

This thread has made me wanna visit the DPRK so bad. I remember the thing you said about the old subway trains imported from the GDR. Seems like such an incredibly strange and interesting place.This is true and the DPRK certainly is a fascinating place.

I got sold weed there in some backyard that made me laugh at a picture of a gnome for minutes.

I had a similar experience except I was laughing at that stupid naked banana picture.

15 months ago

Jacob Ortiz

Must suck being a burger. I'm swedish and there's a swedish-korean group that organizes trips the DPRK multiple times a year. I've spoken to people in the Communist Party of Sweden (SKP) who say the trip is great. It's just a bit expensive and I'm a broke ass university student. Some day, though.

15 months ago

Jace Robinson

It's just a bit expensive and I'm a broke ass university student.Just to say this right now, before people accuse me of being some bourgeois middle class parasite because of my travels, I am fucking broke and all my travels I financed as a wage slave and often overdrafted my account just to have enough groceries for the month. I am a student who works a minimum wage job.

15 months ago

Ian Reed

Thank you for your response as well as making this informative thread. I really wanna go get stoned on shitty weed in the DPRK now.

15 months ago

Benjamin Rogers

I loved that picture and i wasn't even high. Guess that picture is just too ebin for some rudemen :^)

15 months ago

Henry Miller

What I'm interested in is their shit like aircraft capacity.

wasting precious oil and fuel so one very liberal american is finally convinced the DPRK is a serious foe despite his own agencies telling him this is the case

15 months ago

Camden Young

Won't you miss a chance to kick the shit out of an imperialist, won't you?

According to the participants in 2014, most of the films are from developing countries, Russia and western Europe - burger movies are apparently not accepted. Most films seem revolve arround socialistic motifs - a French movie about rebelling against the police, a German movie about feeling alienated by bourgeois lifestyle, a Russian movie about a Soviet love stoy, and some documentaries about renewable energy from Australia, or Che Guevara from Spain and similar things. There is going to be one in 2018, and I'm excited to see if they expanded more into Western indie movie culture. Someone send them stuff like A Field in England or whatever. They did host Laibach after all.

defector Yeonmi Park claims that you get executed for watching a Western movie

It's possible to attend. There are some tour groups that take westerners over to the film festival. Don't know if the movies accommodate with subtitles though.

15 months ago

Camden Morgan

A national meeting of activists of rural youth workteams and sub-workteams took place at the People’s Palace of Culture on Monday.

Present at the meeting were Ko In Ho, vice-premier and minister of Agriculture, Ri Il Hwan, department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, officials concerned, officials of the youth league and activists in the movement of rural youth workteams and sub-workteams.

Pak Chol Min, first secretary of the C.C., Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League, in his report said that the movement of rural youth workteams and sub-workteams has developed into a powerful mass movement in the struggle to build an economic power and improve the people’s living standard under the unfurled banner of the theses on the socialist rural question by the initiative and wise guidance of President Kim Il Sung, leader Kim Jong Il and respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

Members of the rural youth workteams and subworkteams have fully demonstrated the heroic spirit and invincible might in agricultural production as youth vanguard, the reporter noted.

Referring to the fact that more than 1 400 youth workteams and subworkteams have become model, twice or thrice model youth workteams and subworkteams in the flames of the movement, the reporter stressed the need for all members of rural youth workteams and subworkteams to fully display the spirit of youth vanguard in a drive for implementing the theses on the socialist rural question.

Speakers at the meeting noted that the members of rural youth workteams and subworkteams across the country have grown into the core of the socialist countryside and into enthusiastic young revolutionaries through the struggle for implementing the Party’s plan for socialist rural construction.

Well, I'd assume that they'd have Korean subtites, but it would be odd not to have English subtitles as well, especially since this is their showcase event to connect with the west. The really shitty thing is, that a lot of western indie movie makers would probably not attend because they don't want to have the slanderous headlines in the west and ruin their career.

Some black guy walks amongst the most modern streets of Pyongyang. It's extremly impressive, everything is hyper clean, and looks like from a retro Sci-Fi movie. Their architecture cerainly is impressive.youtube.com/watch?v=_wE8aaBLVpg

15 months ago

Adrian Jenkins

solar panels in the park and on every new buildingsquiggly wiggly patterned public housingscifi skyrises

Funny. But it's obviously not true.If it was how this came out only right now? I mean majority of women are defectors

15 months ago

Caleb Lee

Especially the second part of the video is impressive. I know this is just Pyongyang, but still, this shit is impressive. It's like a Pokemon city with no ads. Imagine the potential of this country if there weren't genocidal sanctions.

15 months ago

Brayden Sanchez

Trump apparently threatens to withdraw US troops from South Korea over trade

He is so dumb. He's getting played like a school girl. This is what kim wanted to achieve from the start

15 months ago

Ethan Foster

Considering that John Bolton is highly likely to be an advisor to Trump. It seems like the yanks figured out that Trump's not nearly as hawkish when it comes to NK as the yanks want him to be.

15 months ago

Jayden Cox

Considering that John Bolton is highly likely to be an advisor to Trump.That's really bad, right?

15 months ago

Cooper Kelly

McMaster also wanted to bloody nose strike North Korea, there's no fucking difference between them in any practical terms.

15 months ago

Jayden Miller

Bolton is worse since he holds a lot more sway with Trump due to his show on Fox and Bolton is also a smooth political operator.Iran/Syria/Hez is the more likely target though

15 months ago

Ryder Howard

Some real geniuses in the comments:Those big roads, and very few cars, most people are walking. very strange. the small number of people don't match the buildings.﻿It looks like everything and the people was placed there like a movie prop doing specific things, and dressed as if they are going to work but randomly walking nowhere.﻿none of the building are real..they are only shells…no one lives or works in them and were built to give the world a fake view of a crazy country run buy a wee fat crazy guy…it's just a Korean version of Sim City.﻿wouldnt suprise me if this whole street tour thing is all staged, the lenghts they go to to hide their Problems is on a new level..﻿

15 months ago

Jonathan Green

Yeah, it took me a second to realize that. It does really add to the charm of the city though, I didn't get how much advertisements clutter and distract.

user I dunno if you're still around in this thread, but I want to talk about a few things that you mentioned.

For one, the fact that you give a fuck about what's considered "criminal" in a world dominated by capitalist geopolitics betrays your liberalism. Why does North Korea have to play by the rules if the rules are structured against them? The capitalist world order does all it can to prevent incursions on the laws of the market and free enterprise. North Korea disturbing that is what bothers you? This is literal CIA tier scaremonger tactics. If anything, we should celebrate this sabotage and encourage more of it to help break down the established logic of global capitalism.

Goods are "redistributed" to the ruling elite in Pyongyang, who in turn pass them on to their croniesLiterally what are you even talking about? Do you have a source? What goods? This is the kind of retarded bullshit that people will just accept because they have a preconcieved negative view of the DPRK. If you have some kind of evidence that proves the DPRK has some kind of institutionalized criminal activity, I would absolutely love to see it. I think that instead, you'll refer us to a book written by a liberal or a defector who will in turn provide another secondary source, which will end up being a dead end. The point is, show us a fucking primary source and stop getting your information from buzzfeed.

Citizens are born, live, and die in the world the state wants them to believe is real.First of all, I don't see how this differs from any state in existence ever. But second, this is actually a meaningless and emotional phrase.

North Korea has the Inminban, neighborhood hood watch organizations, that support state security by informing on criminal activity or political disobedienceSince you're a liberal, I understand that you consider trivial, half-baked "human rights concerns" to be at the forefront of your politics. Here's another way of looking at it. This system of informants and domestic surveillance is worrying to a certain extent, but western criticism amounts to a trite complaint that is tantamount to childish whining. The fact that you'll single this out, instead of ferociously nitpicking and tearing apart an authoritarian capitalist regime (something like Eritrea, let's say), says a lot about how much you care about bringing down capitalism and more broadly reveals that you impotently give your lame opinion on things within a framework designed to discredit socialism from the get-go.

Even during the famine in the 90s, when hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of North Koreans died, the government's control of information prevented any sort of political disobedience outside of a black market.This sounds plausible. Luckily for you, it doesn't matter if it actually happened or not, because you'll provide no sources and no one will expect you to.

Did the DPRK have a deal with the US to not develop nukes that they eventually broke? I've heard this from liberals but I also know the DPRK has offered to stop the nuclear tests multiple times the last few years.

14 months ago

Ryan Brown

this video is unavailable

14 months ago

William Turner

Clinton signed a deal with the DPRK back in the 90s, in exchange for not developing nukes the US would give some aid and help develop nuclear reactorsUS refused to hold up their end of the bargain, claimed DPRK violated it, then in 03 when Bush openly declared them part of the Axis of Evil, the DPRK said fuck it and restarted the program

14 months ago

Jason Bell

Also, don't forget that Israel violates the nuclear proliferation treaty pretty all the time, threatens with war and destruction and nobody gives a fuck.

The great revolutionary accomplishments pioneered by the Great Leader Comrade KIM Il Sung must be succeeded and perfected by hereditary succession until the end. The firm establishment of the sole leadership system is the crucial assurance for the preservation and development of the Great leader’s revolutionary accomplishments, while achieving the final victory of the revolution.

What did they mean by this?

14 months ago

Aaron Myers

🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧ILB🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 versionThe "original" reads as this:We must pass down the great achievement of the revolution by the Great Leader comrade Kim Il-sung from generation to generation, inheriting and completing it to the end.

14 months ago

Joseph James

March 21 this year is the 44th anniversary of the proclamation of the law on complete abolition of the tax system in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Since then, world people call Korea “the only tax-free country”.

Korea had taken measures to lighten the tax burden of the people step by step already before the proclamation of the law.

As the abolition of the tax system was raised as an important historical task, the system of the agricultural tax in kind was abolished in Juche 55(1966).

Later, the historic Law on “Completely Abolishing the Tax System” was adopted at the 3rd Session of the 5th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK held on March 21, Juche 63(1974) and Korea became the only tax-free country in the world, making the Korean people tax-free. The Korean people are leading a happy life thanks to the popular policies of the state increasing day by day.

The state provides the working people with dwelling houses gratis and ensures that everybody learns to the heart’s content and constantly promotes his or her health under the benefits of the free education system and the free medical care system.

Modern service establishments have been built everywhere, providing the people with all conditions to enjoy the highest civilization at the highest level. Really boundless are the state benefits for the Korean people who know nothing about taxes.exploredprk.com/articles/tax-free-korean-people/

This Twitter account is a fucking goldmine. He speaks Korean and debunks thoroughly so many misinformation and outright lies about the DPRK, dissecting obvious falsehoods in "The Cleanest Race", such as mistranslations.

a spy wouldn't have been fucking around with propaganda posters, trying to grab one as a souvenirmore like he was just a dumb kid

DPRK shills don't like the idea of a dumbass foreigner going braindead a gulag for an incredibly minor crime so they are throwing around other narratives.

14 months ago

Brandon Bell

leftcom defending a CIA stoogetypical

14 months ago

Jayden Barnes

<AGENT WARMBIER<Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go on a Five day tour of North Korea with the Chinese operated tour group Young Pioneers. On the penultimate day of your trip, you are to infiltrate the second floor of the Yanggakdo Hotel, steal a 24" by 36" propaganda poster and exfiltrate with it to the United States. Upon your return to the US we will take the propaganda poster for analysis, so that we may finally comprehend the eternal truth of Juche. As always, should you be caught or killed, the Agency will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This recording will self-destruct in five/ten seconds. Good luck Otto.

a spy wouldn't have been fucking around with propaganda posters, trying to grab one as a souvenirProof?I've seen no proof that he did that. Why the got him in the airport then? Why did they give him 15 years? Where was the poster? Why did they let him back? Isn't it a bit fishy? Plus why he died when he was back in america?

14 months ago

Ryder Diaz

Proof?There is a grainy video of someone stealing a poster. Besides that, you just have to trust the North Koreans. I am inclined to believe he did steal it.Plus why he died when he was back in america?en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrest_and_death_of_Otto_Warmbier#Death_and_public_reactionsHe was severely brain damaged and died from complications iirc. The DPRK claimed he fell into a coma after contracting botulism, but I think that's unlikely.Why did they give him 15 years? I would guess so he could be a bargaining chip in future negotiations with the US. They probably didn't intend for him to get fucked up in the gulag.

14 months ago

Luis Martinez

Why is the head of state fucking hereditary though

14 months ago

Aaron Harris

There is a grainy video of someone stealing a poster. Besides that, you just have to trust the North Koreans. I am inclined to believe he did steal it.If I have to trust the offical statment than he himself admitted to be a spyHe was severely brain damaged and died from complications iirc. The DPRK claimed he fell into a coma after contracting botulism, but I think that's unlikelyFirst there was no autopsy <At the request of Warmbier's family, an autopsy was not performed, and only a postmortem external examination was conductedSecond there were no signs of torture bbc.com/news/world-asia-41423729Plus all this doesn't explain why he survived in a north korea gulag 17 months but died in days in america.I would guess so he could be a bargaining chip in future negotiations with the US. They probably didn't intend for him to get fucked up in the gulag.What if the opposite in true? Maybe they sent him there, burned him to the koreans as an israeli spy so that the new president could free him and take all the glory. What they didn't expect was hin trying to kill himself. Or maybe they poisoned him so that they could justify sanctions. It's not tho. It's just that the party keep electing members of this family

14 months ago

Gabriel Perez

then why is the head of state de-facto hereditary?

14 months ago

Isaac Stewart

Because the kim family means a lot to this people, plus they had only 3 leaders yet. Again they get elected, nowhere in the constitution is stated that everyone named kim should be the leader

Second there were no signs of torture We don't know how long he was in a coma for, he could have healed from some methods of torture. Like you said, the family declined an autopsy so we will never no for certain. I think torture and a suicide attempt are the most probable causes of his brain damage.

Conservative authorities follow similar reasoning, rejecting routine autopsies, but some permit them in individual situations where constructive knowledge may be gained. So conservative jews are kind of apprehensive about autopsies but allow them in certain circumstancesThat could very well be what happened here. Or Perhaps the parents just wanted an open casket funeral.

14 months ago

Easton Parker

The core part of Juche is the idea that the masses have to rally around one leader who will defend their ideals.

14 months ago

John Brooks

They also claimed that his body showed signs of torture, such as "rearranged" teeth and disfigured hands and feet. What does "rearranged teeth" even mean?

14 months ago

Christopher Harris

magazine.uchicago.edu/0312/features/index.shtmlBetween May 1992 and February 1993 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) made six formal inspections of the Yongbyong site. When the IAEA requested special inspections of two undeclared sites early in 1993, North Korea resisted, arguing that the waste sites were military installations. In March of that year, P’yongyang threatened to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in effect since 1985. The crisis came to a head in June 1994, when President Bill Clinton wanted to stage a preemptive strike on the nuclear facility. Jimmy Carter stepped in and met with Kim Il Sung; four months later North Korea signed the Agreed Framework, or the so-called October 1994 Agreement, promising to freeze its graphite reactors (one 5-megawatt reactor and a reprocessing facility) and cease construction of 50- and 200-megawatt reactors. In return, the United States, along with Japan and South Korea, would help North Korea build two 1,000-megawatt light water reactors.

“When critics tell you that we got nothing from the deal and North Korea proceeded to just cheat on it, I can tell you that’s completely wrong,” Cumings tells his Standard Club audience. “That facility was frozen for eight years until last December. We had video cameras and seals on the facilities. There were at least two United Nations inspectors on the ground at Yongbyong throughout that eight-year period, and there was no possibility of the North Koreans having cheated on that particular agreement.”

14 months ago

Ayden Wilson

They took away his teeth and put it back in the wrong position. North Korean dentist are capable of that somehow

14 months ago

Kayden Butler

I'm guessing they claim that he had been hit on the face, had a few teeth broken and then fixed them before relasing him so it wouldn't lok like he had been hit on the face?

14 months ago

Joseph Clark

Where do you see the list of movies they're screening?

14 months ago

Oliver Wood

No they mean that they took them away and put it back in the wrong order, which is bullshit btw because the coroner didn't find any problems

believing the US narrativeYou'd also denounce North Vietnam for the gulf of tonkin incident.

14 months ago

Isaiah Sullivan

Crying like that is part of traditional Korean culture and is also common in the RoK when politicians and famous people die. It is not simply Koreans "acting." It's genuine grief.

14 months ago

Jayden Edwards

Does anyone else notice the symbol for the DPRK's movie company is the Mosfilm symbol and the Toho symbol combined? Odd.

14 months ago

Dylan Wright

dangerous intellectual materials stored behind glass to prevent them from contaminating the public

14 months ago

Brandon Jones

people actually take his confession at face valueDid you google the whole thing? It’s retarded and obviously coerced.was working on behalf of the CIA, a club at his university, and his local Methodist church (lol)told to steal a poster in exchange for 10,000 dollarsThe DPRK is known to force Americans to make false confessions. I can understand defending the DPRK, but this level of naievity is absurd.

14 months ago

Alexander Stewart

There was some report of some international library club that visited the People's Study House a few years ago, I don't think I can find them again. But basically, they used their intranet, and checked what titles are there to be read, and they not only found all of Marxist literature but also classical liberal stuff, Frankfurt School, etc.

I mean, to think that 100 year old tomes would infect the public is stupid anyway. It certainly hasn't in the West. In DPRK tourist shops, you can purchase the Communist Manifesto in Korean.

14 months ago

Justin Fisher

I don't take the confession at face value. I don't take american news at face value neither.You don't think is strange that for 30 years they don't touch americans prisoners and then out of nowhere they give 15 years, torture and poison an american student?

Don't touch them in the sense they don:t hurt them, most of them were arrested for entering illegally. Why the fuck you keep defending the US btw? There is not need to be a tank tier anti imperialist, but why leftcom seem to not care about anything that is currently going on in the world?

14 months ago

Leo Flores

Why the fuck you keep defending the US btw?but why leftcom seem to not care about anything that is currently going on in the world?Please don't infer my geopolitical opinions just because I sympathize for this kid and think the DPRK has a draconian legal system.

Comments? Thoughts? Could a mutual assurance of unilateral disarmament mean a regression of international pressures or an intrastate shift in policy and infrastructure by the DPRK?

14 months ago

Kevin King

"The issue of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula can be resolved, if South Korea and the United States respond to our efforts with goodwill, create an atmosphere of peace and stability while taking progressive and synchronous measures for the realization of peace," Kim said.They won't do it unless the US withdraws at least a huge amount of troops from the area and lifts the sanctions. From South Korea its probably expected to mollify the National Security Act and to allow South Korans to visit the North and vice versa.

14 months ago

Zachary Adams

It's probably a gambit to make himself look good in the eyes of NK and the world. If the US and SK continue further drills or try to invade no one in the international community will support them.

14 months ago

Kevin Powell

No, it was made by the OP of the thread I linked. I just converted the 320 mb .mp4 to a much smaller .webm which can be posted here. Youtube blocked that video over some copyright issue.

I would think not…she probably has lots of bruises from Kim's brass balls on other parts.

14 months ago

Carson Cook

I bet he would actually be a pretty cool person to meet irl. I mean he judges not Dennis Rodman, maybe he even has some nostalgia for 90s NBA too.

14 months ago

Cameron Mitchell

On the official website of the Voice of Korea (DPRK's international broadcasting service), there is a box on the left entitled "Life of Great Person" and a link to an article called "Analysis of Modern Imperialism and Revisionism" - I'd really like to read that one but for some reason the link doesn't work and it tells me that I need to install Flash

Be careful, technological diversification is a huge factor behind the rapid development; however, this is a common variable so it won't win any particular points (one of the essential points for the determination of potential output).

In all candor, a huge focus has been the relative liberalization of the academic process and access to the global academy. This has been combined with a lack of intellectual export as well as significant infusions of factor endowments and capital from foreign investment and the ability to control trade terms effectively mean that the DPRK economy will continue to grow at an appreciable pace but that very little of it is a result of monetary, fiscal, or organizational policy. This also indicates that base year comparisons are a huge reason for metered/scalar growth, and seeing as the DPRK was a negligible economic force until (and some say still) very recently means that it will have a much higher rate of development relative to the international market which, if one accounts for the displacement and non-reproduction of virtual capital and other variables, primarily remains in a sort of inertia-bound flux of cycles

14 months ago

Nicholas Jackson

last picDon't worry lass, with the New Deal between the DPRK and China, when they liberalize and reunify and SK you'll be able to charge prole as much as you want for medical treatment, just like in the Free World™ :^)

14 months ago

Owen Thompson

Why is tech diversifying now?

The famine was 27 years ago, idk why it took this so long for the economy to get going

14 months ago

Jaxson Rivera

There has existed for an extended period of time a semblance of porosity - the 'hermetic' state was never sealed the way both the West and the 'anti-imperialist' crowd have advanced in their cyclical polemics. The DPRK has significantly tapered their regulations on the exchange of commodities with the west. Contrary to the illusory state of intense conflict, economic and intellectual exchange have been on a serious rise since Kim Jong-Un took over as Chairman of the WPK. There has been a receding tide of Songun oriented policies, or at least an interspersion to a certain degree of military and civilian infrastructures, allowing for the concentration of economic resources in the development and accumulation of technologies previously denied to the state. This has been combined with a growing class of 'nomenklatura' who have spurred the proliferation of nominal economic liberalizations. We see, then, a major confluence of regional policy in the burgeoning economic power of the Chinese state, the detente with western powers, and academic retention.

One should surely be wary of the common axiom of the mendicant state, indebted and enthralled to the Chinese state - the DPRK is experiencing a rapid development of productive capacities; however, the means behind this growth are absolutely not attributable to socialist policy - rather that they represent a debilitating reliance on the forces of global comparative trade.

14 months ago

Tyler Cooper

Will this mean there may be a business interest AGAINST destroying the DPRK?

14 months ago

Jaxon Adams

a huge focus has been the relative liberalization of the academic process and access to the global academy. also tell me more about this

14 months ago

Connor Thompson

against destroying the DPRKMilitarily speaking, an imbroglio of that nature would fuck up the entirety of the far east. I think it indicates that the two great modern spheres of capital will continue to cause friction with smaller, developing nations like the DPRK caught between the larger cycles of the reproduction of capital. It will essentially become a sort of subprocess to the economic posturing that is to come between Russia/China/Europe/US. I'd say the DPRK is fairly safe, at least for the time being.

The DPRK has, of recent years, allowed the access of foreign experts and academia to domestic universities to encourage a manner of exchange. I use 'liberalization' liberally in this context to refer to the ability of western or foreign academics to enter and consult with scientists within the country. This, as well as links through Russia, has been a huge boon in the development of rocket carrier and booster technologies. As for the peer-reviewed contributions or journals of the DPRK, I can't say too much as those records are still unavailable - at least to my knowledge.

14 months ago

Evan Gonzalez

One should surely be wary of the common axiom of the mendicant state, indebted and enthralled to the Chinese state - the DPRK is experiencing a rapid development of productive capacities; however, the means behind this growth are absolutely not attributable to socialist policy - rather that they represent a debilitating reliance on the forces of global comparative trade.Isn't the alternative starvation, maybe even regime change?

14 months ago

William Adams

Not for the US bourgeois at least.

14 months ago

Samuel Long

Isn't the alternative starvation, maybe even regime change?Indeed. The DPRK will get the short end of the stick, favoring capital and commodity exchange, every single time. Its why a modern leftist universalism is what is so appealing to me, something that breaks out of anachronisms of the single-state pragmatic socialisms

14 months ago

Caleb Cooper

Its why a modern leftist universalism is what is so appealing to me, something that breaks out of anachronisms of the single-state pragmatic socialismsWhat would this look like?

14 months ago

Eli Hughes

A return to the linear programming of Kantorovich for economic planning, central planning, non-didactic governance, an alienated bureaucracy, an active and uninhibited intelligentsia, and all the dead bourgeoisie one could hope for

14 months ago

Wyatt Price

how many layers of ☭TANKIE☭ are you on my dude?maybe six or seven, I support the DPRKyou are like a little revisionist, watch this

14 months ago

Colton Bell

tankienon-didactic, active intelligentsiaI don't support the DPRK, either. Just was answering an economics question

Just finished reading Dear Leader by Jang Jin-Sung. A brief statement near the start of this text appears to be the source for claiming citizens of the DPRK do not believe the leader uses the lavatory. The text itself is an interesting read insofar as what it discloses about the structure of DPRK governance. Personally dubious that Jang's personal narrative is the unvarnished truth.

14 months ago

William Fisher

trolled the gommie ebic style with le wikipedias :DDDD

14 months ago

Connor Wood

The author is an obvious right-winger who appeared on Molyneux's show to whine about how socialism killed gorrilions of people - so maybe take that information with a grain of salt. To me, it's just another one of these liberal meme books who don't have any hard information but just engage in speculation from an outsiders perspective. There is literally no reason to believe that someone who is a self-declared "North Korea expert" has access to better information about the DPRK than me or you could find by browsing the web.

14 months ago

Jayden Bailey

Fucking hell man I want to go live in North Korea now. How do I get there from the US?

14 months ago

Isaiah Roberts

Cross the DMZ through worst korea or you're bourgeois.

14 months ago

Eli Flores

You'll be shot by the RoK army though.

14 months ago

Austin Turner

Pure rumor tier still, but the upcoming Coalition strikes on Syria are going to be a message to NK(and Iran) ahead of the meetings to give up nukes without concessions

14 months ago

Jeremiah Thomas

If you'd have read the text in question, you'd be aware that Jang claims to have been employed writing DPRK propaganda and to have met Kim Jong-Il before defecting. If those claims are true I don't think it unreasonable to claim expertise on the inner workings of the DPRK. The book reports that the apparent outer workings of the DPRK are largely for show; Kim Jong-Il is claimed to have constructed a grouping that functions as a shadow government by isolating his father and controlling all access to him. The entire situation is reminiscent of The Village from The Prisoner. Jang's text contains some self-contradiction, his motives come across as far too pure for someone in the situations he reports and there is more than one scene within the republic that reads more as ideological attack than historical account.

However, if that book really does say that there was this genuine belief that Kim Jong Un doesn't shit, I would argue that these claims are exaggarated to say the least.

14 months ago

Chase Bell

the upcoming Coalition strikes on Syria are going to be a message to NK(and Iran) ahead of the meetings to give up nukeshahaha WHAT? oh yeah, THAT'LL convince them to give up their defenses… WHAT? Jesus you're retarded.

14 months ago

Robert Scott

implying the US is smart

14 months ago

Carter Barnes

Jang refers to Kim Jong-Il rather than Kim Jong-Un. He left the DPRK before Kim Jong-Il's death. Here's a scan of the relevant page. Make of it what you will, it'd not be the first time a defector has been less than honest with the world.

How exactly does the DPRK push the average Korean Joe to read Marxist literature? Do they activelly attempt to endorse the reading of things? What is the state if /leftylit/ in DPRK?

14 months ago

Hudson White

How many people who support the DPRK do you think are false flags, spies from China or severely mentally ill?

14 months ago

Anthony Bennett

Will someone explain what the Taean system is? Why should I care about it?

14 months ago

Jason Torres

Also, my question about this documentary:

Are the translations accurate? Or is this journalist merely making a hitpiece on Trump to undermine him as many mainstream media outlets do? Inb4 the fake news shit, the American "left" is just as disingenuous in their propaganda as the right.

I hope Trump isn't making things worse. I hope it's all talk and the world doesn't break out into an all out world war. It seems that DPRK is a state borne out of wartime and might just be using war rhetoric to mobilize the masses.

Am I being delusional here? Wishful thinking?

14 months ago

Ian Davis

You realize that the only reason you're allowed to visit this website is freedom to speak your mind? Also, free speech laws have upheld left wing movements as well as right. Antifaggots who want to destroy that are as terrible as McCarthy-ites who want to take that away.

14 months ago

Kayden Campbell

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Wednesday it successfully implemented its economic development plans last year despite US-led sanctions"Last year was a year of great victory in which a great progress had been made in carrying out the five-year strategy for the national economic development,""The Cabinet organized a drive for putting the nation's overall economy on a higher stage with a main emphasis put on revitalizing the production," he was quoted as saying, while noting a principle of self-support and self-sufficiency in local productions. Finance Minister Ki Kwang Ho said that last year, the DPRK's state budgetary revenue plan was over-fulfilled by 1.7 percent, scoring a 4.9-percent increase in state income from the previous year. He said 15.8 percent of the total expenditure last year was earmarked for military capabilities and 47.7 percent for economic development. In 2018, the defense expenditure will stay at 15.9 percent of the total budget, he said.globaltimes.cn/content/1097606.shtml

I hope Trump isn't making things worsenothing real will come of the NK-American talks, the American demands are too absurd and will end up making themselves look like idiots, that and Trump's tweets following the eventAs far as outcomes, probably warming of relations with SK along with Sino-Russian relations continuing to get betterPlus Iran is going to draw all the attention of the US after MayS-400s for NK soon

14 months ago

Lucas Anderson

Spies and "severally mentally ill" sound more like supporters of the dotard idiot and his Yankee warmongers.

I agree that he's a warmonger. You'd have a hard time convincing even the "left" in America that Trump supporters are "crazier" than DPRK supporters in Western countries. And spies? Inb4 Russian hackers.

You'd have a hard time convincing even the "left" in America that Trump supporters are "crazier" than DPRK supporters in Western countries.If the """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""left' in america cannot be convinced about critically supporting the DPRK, then socialism in america is not possible.

14 months ago

Kevin Cooper

The American left is fucked beyond all repair. There needs to be an alternative left that rejects idpol. Unorganized, spread through anonymity and power in toying with capitalism and wage cuckery. If the left continues to be "organized" by violent Maoist hyper-Democrats and so-called "workers unions," the left will die and become the Middle Class Porky Party.

Is there any hard data on DPRK economic performance?Yes its called Chinas GDP and fiscal stability that is spoonfeeding Korea and creating or faciliating 99% of the Made_in_Korea.jpg and impressive_expensive_tech_stuff_that_shows_little_to_no_traces_of_being_actually_used.jgp shit you see getting posted all the time

14 months ago

Aiden Stewart

mfw people think that Kim will actually denuclearize after this Syria attack

Never would have happened in the first placeThe US will make outrageous demands that will force NK to say noWhen that happens the US will then try to paint NK as negotiating in bad faith or walking away

Probably do another wave of sanctions against NK, China, and Russia at that point for "aiding NK nuclear programs", unless the Strait Crisis that's brewing kicks off in time

14 months ago

Henry Cooper

Exactly my thoughts. As of now I see either a new wave of sanctions followed by another "crisis" happening after the talks fail.

14 months ago

Jayden Rogers

Interesting, sources?

14 months ago

Daniel Diaz

CIA :^)

14 months ago

Andrew Ramirez

lel the more DPRK nuclearizes the more they win, Marxism-Leninism-Kim Il Sungism can't stop winning.

14 months ago

Zachary Barnes

Trade volume with China is like 18 percent of the GDP. And even then, most of the imports are fuel and consumer items.

14 months ago

Ethan Phillips

the good news is that apparently due to strikes Russia is now considering giving NK more modern AA systems and helping upgrade current NK AA systems

14 months ago

Colton Moore

This is a cooperative farm, Jangchon Vegetable Cooperative. It's described as a town in itself. How comfy would you rate it, Zig Forums?

The Pyongyang Declaration, officially titled Let Us Defend and Advance the Cause of Socialism was a statement signed by a number of parties on April 20, 1992. Representatives of 70 communist and other parties had come to Pyongyang for the celebration of Kim Il-sung's 80th birthday. While there, the delegates had many bilateral and multilateral contacts with each other and decided to issue a declaration reiterating their commitment to socialism in spite of the collapse of the USSR and a number of other communist regimes in recent years. On April 20 the declaration was signed by delegates of 70 parties, including 48 party leaders.

Looks top tier comfy tbqhI really like their setup of workplaces seemingly integrated into living space if that's the right way to put it

13 months ago

Nicholas Moore

[Nb: Source is unclear which one. As the original source is alphabetical by country and region, it may be Syria, but this is not explicitly stated.]

13 months ago

Xavier Nelson

Anyways a bit of a news update as to American-NK summitSpeaking at Mar-a-Lago with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday, United States President Donald Trump said he won't attend the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unless the summit is extremely likely to bear fruithe'll 'respectfully leave the meeting' with Kim Jong Un if a denuclearization deal is not workable between the US and North Korea sputniknews.com/news/201804191063701576-trump-wont-meet-kim-success/

sounds like they planned it for pretty soon, but it also sounds like the Americans are probably going to torpedo it on purpose, color me surprised

13 months ago

Alexander Bailey

What does leftypol think of this documentary? It includes interviews with Cheu En-Hee and associates.

ighlighting this step in public discourse may be interpreted as a further step towards publicly re-establishing the rule of the Party that had lost its dominant influence during the Kim Jong Il era to the National Defense Commission. The revival of the Party started in September 2010 with the very Party Conference—the first after 44 years—where Kim Jong Un had first been introduced to the public.This is very good.

Some notable details include repeated direct and indirect reference to sanctions, indicating that they might indeed be biting; a low projected growth rate of the economy; a small but symbolic increase in military spending; and a stagnant part of the budget coming from local sources. In fact, 2018 is the first time since 2011 that this figure has not grown substantially. The trend of a constantly growing relative economic power of the provinces compared to the central state has thus stopped.

And later:The most notable change in the detailed numbers concerns the share of budget revenue coming from “local areas,” i.e. the provinces and localities. It was planned to reach 26.7 percent of the total state budget in 2017, compared to 23.2 percent in 2016 and a mere 16.1 percent in 2011 when the government started reporting on this item. The planned figure for 2018 is now only 26.1 percent, the first decrease projected. Moreover, in 2017, the related revenue plan was executed at 100.5 percent. It was thus over-fulfilled by only 0.5 percent, which is the lowest value of all budget reports. The over-fulfillment rate had been about 14 percent in 2015 and in 2016, and even 22 percent in 2014. The fact that it suddenly plunged to almost zero and that no more growth is expected for 2018 indicates a trend reversal.

In other words, the part of the economy that is not centrally controlled is not growing anymore, at least not in relative terms. Some of the verbal passages in the report indicate that this is the result of a deliberate policy change. While in 2017, the Minister of Finance in his report said that “Provinces, cities and counties envisage ensuring expenditures with their own local revenues and adding their profits to the state budget,” in 2018, he put an emphasis on the central government by saying “the revenue from the central economy holds an overwhelming proportion.” The growth in the local areas as slowed down, and it's possible that this has something to do with bringing them back into the central plan. I have mixed feelings about this, I mean for once it's good that potentially emerging markets have been curbed, this shows that they still on the socialist path.

Unlike in 2017, no “acute shortage of electricity” was stressed this time. Electricity, nevertheless, remains an economic priority of North Korea’s government. In his 2018 report, Pak put the related focus on conservative policies such as equipment maintenance in power generation and a more efficient use of coal. This could be interpreted as an attempt to respond to limitations imposed by new economic sanctions, the message to the energy sector being: make the most out of what is there and do not expect to receive external inputs anytime soon.That they don't have electricity shortages is good.

Another sanctions-related topic was not, however, explicitly addressed in Pak Pong Ju’s speech this time: the so-called C1 chemical industry. This industry, which focuses on trying to replace imported crude oil by other, domestically available resources, had been a key strategic item in various 2016 and 2017 speeches.Development of chemical industry is important to achieve better food security.

Among the specific economic projects that Pak mentioned were the development of Samjiyon County into a model county, the Wonsan-Kalma tourist area, the Tanchon Power Station and the waterway project in South Hwanghae Province.

The budget report was delivered by Minister of Finance Ki Kwang Ho. The rate of growth of state budgetary revenue, which I treat as a proxy for an official GDP growth rate, was given as 4.9 percent during the last year, indicating a moderate growth of the economy but being lower than the 6.3 percent reported in 2017. This could be another indicator of a certain impact of economic sanctions, although caution is advised because fluctuations have happened before and are rarely mono-causal. In any case, this is the lowest value since 2006.Sanctions DO have an impact, however, 49% growth rate is still alright.

We find that growth rates and expectations are again relatively modest, a trend that began in 2013 and has been strengthened gradually. The growth figure for 2018 is 3.2 percent, about the same value as last year. Expenditures are set to grow 5.1 percent, which is only slightly less than in 2017. As Figure 1 shows, the North Korean state has since 2008 planned to spend more than it earned. The gap between the planned growth of revenue and expenditure for 2018 has been somewhat narrowed and is now at 2.1 percent. This is, however, not a sign of deliberate deficit spending since the figures for actual, or “achieved” revenue usually make up for that gap and thus lead to a more balanced budget and occasionally even a small surplus, at least according to these official figures.

For 2018, revenue from special economic zones is expected to grow 2.5 percent. This is twice as much as the year before, but still only half the expected growth rate of 2014. It seems that North Korea’s leadership is somewhat optimistic about the prospects of its external economic cooperation but so far refrains from overly excessive hopes. This is an interesting insight into the internal expectations of the 2018 summitry.

The military is again only briefly considered with its usual 15.8 percent share of the budget which as such, is subject to debate as being too low and not reflecting the actual North Korean spending on its military which is estimated by the US Department of State to be in the range of 24 percent.

Figure 2 shows that the cumulative value for achieved revenue (blue curve) has constantly been above cumulative expenditure growth (green curve) throughout Kim Jong Un’s tenure. Since 2013, however, the green curve for cumulative expenditure has constantly been above the orange planned revenue curve. This indicates the built-in expectation that the plan will be over-fulfilled.

North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs have allowed the country to secure strategic stability and peace, so there is no need for additional missile and nuke tests anymore, Kim Jong-un has proclaimed. “From April 21, 2018, nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile tests will be discontinued,” the Korean Central News Agency cited Kim as saying, at a plenary meeting of the central committee of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea “North Korea’s nuclear test center will be discarded in order to ensure the transparency of the nuclear test suspension,” KCNA added.rt.com/news/424738-korea-kim-nuclear-ballistic-tests/

Not too surprising news, I had thought tests had been frozen for some time since the last missile test

building gets started in the late '80s USSR collapse phase startscauses a similar collapse in the NK economy as most fuel imports and food imports are just goneresources diverted to more important thingsEgyptian firm brought in to do 3G telecoms and some furnishing I think it's getting finished up this year, the big screens at the top that show the DPRK flag are new

13 months ago

Jason Cook

Another day of not living in the paradise that is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. :(<Why even live bros?

user, NK is so evil, look at these testimonies that they kill your entire family to the third generation and eat your friends if you don't communizewell sure you may be right it's not that bad, but you can't deny these testimonies, plus they hate us for having freedom

A strong intellectual leader capable of bringing prosperity to the nation and it's people

And refuse the coward hostility of foreign intervention in it's path to glory

13 months ago

Wyatt Bennett

From '91 onwards America would have happy settled for NK just recognizing SK and having official diplomatic relations yet instead the Kim regime decided to build nuclear weapons and more or less invite a permanent American military presence in Korea so long as they exist.

At the bare minimum all they've done is bring extreme danger to their people because they went for the bomb and they won't recognize SK. America's military doesn't want to spend money in Korea (they have other places to do that, and in ways that let them cut more corners) yet can't leave because they won't tolerate countries without diplomatic relations building nukes.

13 months ago

Jackson Ortiz

In their weakest moment since the war they should have just said fuck it

Fuck what exactly? So long as they maintained a large and functional air force America wouldn't have a means to tamper in their affairs. It would have been much smarter to build up a domestic aerospace industry rather than building nuclear weapons, since the latter requires a huge air force to prevent an American intervention anyway.

Only five of those happened after the Cold War (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Syria) and all of them with countries that do not have effective air forces. However, notice how in the recent Syria conflict America suddenly backed off after the initial round of strikes when Russian "observers" (troops) moved in to the gassed areas under protection of the Russian air force. America's limits are easy to spot and it's wherever there is effective air cover, or at least enough air cover that requires something more than UAVs or ship-launched missiles.

On that topic, look at history: South Africa. America only considered them a serious player in global affairs because they had a functional air force complete with a medium-range bombing capability. Or in other words, RSA had the ability to build weaponry capable of not only shooting down US aircraft but also engaging unprotected US navy ships. It's also why America considers Iran such a huge threat, because they have American aircraft in their air force including a 747 tanker (which gives them strike capability over most of Eurasia).

See Operation Iraqi Freedom. The first thing America's military did was punch out Saddam's air force, not bomb or otherwise deal with his supposed WMDs (even if the core command staff knew they didn't exist, people on the ground did not).

13 months ago

Elijah Clark

Also look at how the Cuban invasion failed: JFK refused to supply the invaders with strategic bombers that could destroy Cuban positions and basically destroy their entire government. For this America was rewarded with the Cuban Missile Crisis, a situation which existed because the Russian air force was going to setup missiles in Cuba aimed at Washington itself.

Again America's limits are incredibly easy to see and deal with without nukes. All Kim had to do was plane spam like Stalin did with tanks.

13 months ago

Hudson Nelson

These talks will fail right? I mean, surely Kim won't cuck to the West and become China 2.0, right? I just can't see Kim actually denuclearizing, it'd make no sense. I saw a claim somewhere that Kim had only consented to stopping testing before the talks, but I read another report that Kim was committed to denuclearizing today, so I don't know what to think anymore. To get rid of the DPRK's nukes would getting rid of its greatest deterrent. My guess is Kim will demand US troops be removed, Trump will demand them to destroy all of their missiles and the talks will fall through.

Anyone with a more educated opinion who knows what the fuck is up?

13 months ago

Luke Price

Of course they'll fail. Kim will ultimately be told to either dismantle his missiles (which threaten America) or dismantle his nukes (which threaten SK and Japan). He obviously won't since he more or less has a production-ready nuclear-armed ICBM to begin manufacture. For a dictator with unlimited power, that is not a card he will ever give up if only because of his ego.

The timeline is this: talks will fail and things will go quiet for 1-2 years while Kim quietly builds missiles capable of hitting America. He will inevitably do another missile test, which is where problems begin. Let's suppose his missile accidentally over or undershoots and is suddenly headed towards the Japanese or American mainland. In the former's case THAAD has to be immediately deployed and a crisis happens as America then moves right in to conventionally bomb Kim. In the latter's case Trump could easily interpret it as a direct attack on America and unilaterally order a retaliatory nuclear strike.

Unchecked brinksmanship only goes one way, especially with North Korea has weapons capable of hitting America directly. That truly is not a thing America will accept if NK also refuses diplomatic relations (a thing that can only begin if they agree to recognize SK, which they won't ever). Which relates to the much scarier problem here: if Trump opens the pandora's box on nuclear warfare it won't get closed and we can expect such weapons to be used in Ukraine or India. That's the only thing keeping America from ordering a strike right now, because Kim might be able to get a shot off and create a situation where America has to respond with nukes. That's not a bridge anyone in the government over 60 wants to cross.

13 months ago

Jack Morgan

For a dictator with unlimited power, that is not a card he will ever give up if only because of his ego.You are talking about trump right?/leftpol/index.htmlYou should get banned for using liberal talking points

The ability to unilaterally direct resources into nuke production is effectively a dictatorship. Otherwise everyone inside the DPRK would realize the sheer stupidity of what he's doing and instead finance saner projects, like aircraft which are both cheaper and more effective in preventing a US invasion. Like both China and Russia did before they got their nukes.

Air power matters far more than nuclear capability, because all nukes are delivered by air. This much is known by any sort of serious military strategist who is allowed to voice such opinions; again using China and Russia it is why both invest far more into aircraft and jet propulsion than they do nuclear weapons. That the DPRK doesn't just do this when they have the capability for heavy hi-tech industry (evidenced by their nuclear program) is a major red flag. Either North Koreans are incredibly stupid, or they're not allowed to criticize their leaders or make decisions regarding industrial production.

13 months ago

Jaxon Jones

How do nukes not help prevent invasion?

13 months ago

Jack Brown

Because what is a nuke beyond a warhead that has to drop onto a target? It has to get there by going through air space. Therefore, it is fully plausible to fully defend a country from another without nuclear weapons. Nukes themselves largely serve not as an actual weapon but as a deterrent, a threat. If that threat isn't backed by an air force capable of defending it, then the threat is wet cardboard.

The main issue here isn't so much ideology as it is just practicality. North Korea has shown that they are capable of building large, complicated, highly technical devices through their existing nuclear weapons and missile programs. However, those programs consume an enormous amount of material just to build a handful of functional devices, ones which the US has ways to deal with (notably THAAD). By comparison, the US doesn't have any good responses to even MiG-31s IF they come in large enough numbers, because the US government doesn't want to deal with even one or two shot down pilots being taken as POWs. Look at how the U-2 shootdown in 1960 led to the SR-71, F-117, B-2 and the F-35. Likewise, long-range aircraft (if successfully defended by fighters) can drop things like bombs, torpedoes, and commandos on the enemy if an attack does occur.

To put numbers into this, the USAF has about 300 fighter jets in SK, SK itself has about 500 with NK around 500-600 depending on your definition of "fighter". Problem is that the NK's planes are from the late 1950s while America's/SK's planes are about 10-20 years old. Most of the DPRK air force isn't supersonic so they can't chase American fighters entering their country, and their aircraft don't support data pipelining so reconnaissance planes cannot communicate with fighters in real time. Therefore, it's no problem for America to simply destroy (or even occupy) NK's nuclear weapons and missile facilities. Now if Kim had 2,000 or so modern fighter jets, suddenly a US invasion causes significant causalities since Kim would be able to not only engage American fighters but fly into any part of SK and bomb supply lines, weakening the offensive and creating a stalemate (as MiG-17s and MiG-21s helped to facilitate in Vietnam). By comparison a nuke is a one-shot weapon that following it's attempted use invites a nuclear holocaust.

13 months ago

Lincoln Barnes

if Kim had 2,000 or so modern fighter jetsFellas, we got a strategic genius over here. If only he had 2000 modern fighter jets? What? The only country with that many modern fighter jets is the US. You can't maintain a fleet of 2000 modern fighter jets on the economy of a 25 million people country. Even if the DPRK were not being economically strangled by the imperialists, and were as wealthy as the puppet regime, they would still not be able to maintain a standing army that could go toe to toe with the US, any more than Holland or Belgium could stand against Germany in 1940. Building a nuclear deterrent was exactly the right thing to do because it is asymmetrical. It threatens the US in a way that they can't negate with their always superior conventional armaments. And it's a whole lot cheaper than building and maintaining 2000 fighter jets and all attendant weapons and radar systems.THAADMemes won't stop the nukes.

13 months ago

Luke White

Just have a large air force without fuel, bro.nukes are a special kind of evilfuck off retard

13 months ago

Dylan Brown

ones which the US has ways to deal with (notably THAAD)US missile defense systemsthey're a meme and have been for literally decades, THAAD fails horrifically at what it's supposed to do

Anyone with a more educated opinion who knows what the fuck is up?NK has achieved nuclear deterrence, more tests at this point accomplish nothing. Read the KCNA statement above in the thread

not to mention that there's only 3 or 4 nations on earth that can domestically produce modern fighter jets due to how complicated they are. Hell, even as of late China was dependent on importing engines for fighter jets due to how hard it is to technically master that area

13 months ago

Dylan Thomas

If I had a choice between more aircraft production and building up a nuclear deterrent I'd be stockpiling nukes tbh

13 months ago

Julian Cruz

You can't maintain a fleet of 2000 modern fighter jets on the economy of a 25 million people country.

You can with Communism. Look at how America did it through the Women's Auxiliary during WW2 and the Civil Air Patrol. Most of the costs are in pilot training, a cost North Korea is uniquely able to deal with since all citizens can be forced to take flight lessons and rotate in and out through conscription.

THAAD's early failures were dealt with, at extreme cost, similar to the YAL-1 (which was recycled into the navy's XN-1). My point is that the US has a much easier time with ballistic missiles than it does with plane spam. The former is dealt with through automated machines (including America's own nuclear missile forces, which can be used to target incoming missiles) while the latter requires men in machines to fly into hostile territory.

The point is to deter American intervention, planes do that. Nukes largely do not especially when not backed by a sufficiently large air force.

13 months ago

Nathan Hill

Yes user, a nation that doesn't have enough fuel for their powergrid somehow has enough for a 2000+ modern fighters air force.

NK doesn't have nuclear deterrence because all America has to do is figure out how to hit their launchpads before a launch order can be given. This isn't difficult given the massive investment made into stealth aircraft since 1960.

Which is why Hitler failed, because America and England were fed up with his missile program so they invaded his country after destroying his air forces. Hitler himself only got as far as he did because the only air force capable of stopping him was the RAF home guard, which patrolled a small island he kept trying to bomb for some reason. By the time Hitler had realized he needed a lot of Me-262s and Me-264s Soviet troops were already in Germany and it was too late.

To boil down this argument even further, it's a question of wonder weapons vs an air force capable of delivering such weapons. The latter is far more important because it's able to repel enemy attacks in a fashion that does not invite immediate, overwhelming retaliation (nuclear strikes). North Korea should know this, it's the strategy Russia pursued with North Vietnam.

13 months ago

Christopher Sanchez

They have enough of a power grid to construct nuclear weapons and half-functional missiles. NK has enough resources to build an air force. What I'm suggesting isn't any more difficult than producing nuclear weapons.

13 months ago

Daniel Baker

They don't have fuel you mong, unless you're implying having a large fighter jet force without ever training anybody on them for lack of resources is desirable.

13 months ago

Kayden Nguyen

Fuel can be bought from Russia, or traded for raw materials as is done presently. There is also the matter of H2 cell or battery powered aircraft (things the DPRK can create using internal resources) or experimenting with coal combustion as the Nazis briefly did (and proved functional) at the end of WW2. This is a solvable problem.

13 months ago

Ian Ward

how to hit their launchpads before a launch order can be givenThe launchers are mobile. And they will have to deal with anti-air defenses. And be very sure of where the launchers/nukes are. If they fail, they have to fear getting nuked. It'd be extremely risky.

13 months ago

Christopher Baker

So what are you saying is, that the DPRK which doesn't have enough fuel for their powergrid right now, could just grab some russian oil right the fuck now for a fleet of thousand aircraft. They just aren't getting the crude now because… Kim is a dummy I guess?

battery aircraftcoal-powered stealth jet fightersTop memes. Better have nukes and start with actual deterrence this side of the century.

This could become a big thing in the future. If they manage to prospect those massive rare earth deposits, they could get filthy rich if the sanctions would be lifted - with liberalizing a single thing.

13 months ago

Adrian Reyes

*without liberalizing a single thing

Christ

13 months ago

Kayden Russell

Could anyone help with finding constructive critique of the DPRK from inside the country? I need to make a point of there being freedom of speech

13 months ago

Isaiah Martinez

Well it looks like Mr. Un takes full advantage of Pyeongyong fastfood.

I keep hearing and seeing in videos of the DPRK countryside that there is a massive deforestation. I also heard that that there are deserts in the DPRK because of it how true is this? Is there any data on forest area growth in the DPRK?

13 months ago

Ryder Peterson

Will the DPRK ever modernize its air force? Its pathetic that it still has mostly aircraft from the 50s to early 70s.

13 months ago

Dominic Moore

When they are able to import aircraft again. Building modern fighters is out of the capabilities of a small country.

13 months ago

Tyler Bell

It's bullshit.

Why bother? All they need is anti-air defense and a way to sink ships.

Can we bury this meme that Kim wants McDonald's and a Trump Tower? Literally all he said is "modernizing the economy" which North Korean leader said in every single speech since the Korean War, and for some reason this South official says 'hurr it must mean McDonald's" and then the media reports "Kim wants McDonald's in Pyongyang!!!"

would you have to ask if it were?have you seen this twitter linked anywhere at dprk friendship groups or actual KCNA sites?

13 months ago

Josiah Mitchell

What does it mean to "modernize" the economy from him?

13 months ago

Hunter Robinson

obviously more mechanization, automatization, computerizationprobably also energy storing for wind and solar to become even less dependent on fuel importsall the good stuff

13 months ago

Cooper Gomez

No, it's run by a couple of right-wing reactionaries to "parody" the DPRK. The fact twitter hasn't banned it considering their rules against impersonation and crackdowns on "fake news" is frankly shocking. They defend themselves when challenged by basically saying "it's just a joke, bro" but I'm curious how many people follow/retweet/read their tweets as Onion-style 'parody' and how many take it at face value seeing as Westerners are desperate to believe literally anything written about the DPRK.

I suppose. I don't really know if that's modernizing the entire economy as an economic form in itself, but it works.

Although they should really work on buying up older fossil-fuel plant generators and making thermal-solar power plants.

13 months ago

William Morgan

fuck thats beautiiful.

that would never happen in a neoliberal capitalist hellhole like america, unless its a "trade school"

13 months ago

Jace Bailey

i love how anarchists are always the least informed people, edgy westerners too dumb to read about the advantages of the workers owning the means of production. almost as dumb and reactionary as right wingers.

13 months ago

Jonathan Miller

asking for more information is now being edgy

13 months ago

Andrew Sanders

Maybe an odd question, but this border formation is odd to me. The guy facing the camera is actually looking towards North Korea. I saw an American documentary that explained it as:-The two men facing eachother are making sure the other doesn't defect-The guy with his back turned to the SK border is making sure no one from NK defectsAll set to dramatic music and everything, so obviously it comes across as a little absurd. But can anyone think of a reason why they would be lined up in this manner? I have no clue.

Figured I'd contribute my post on Otto Warmbier to this thread. There really is no "defense" of the DPRK in this respect, because it's basically a totally idealist criticism that operates on a purely emotional level, but I think it helps to put it in perspective.

Beijing will support North Korea’s efforts to rebuild its economy, China’s foreign minister has said as the North pledged to suspend nuclear testing and prioritise economic growth.

lol

13 months ago

Jackson Thompson

The guy facing North Korea is posing for a picture, and the guy with his back turned on North Korea is walking up to take his place.

13 months ago

Hudson Gonzalez

Quoting myself. Notice how the guard facing into North Korea is looking at the camera? This is a tourist photo and the North Korean soldier is posing.

13 months ago

Jason Jones

it's basically a totally idealist criticismNo it's not. You don't know what idealism is. Take an introduction to philosophy course or something.

that operates on a purely emotional levelYou could say this to deflect criticism from any injustice. Yes, most people have a strong feeling that sending a person to a labour camp for 15 years for stealing a fucking poster is really fucked up and cruel. Saying "you're just being emotional" doesn't make the criticism any less valid.

american teenager gets shot by police for walking while black<it's basically a totally idealist criticism that operates on a purely emotional level

Had a look at the economics one and it looks rather superficial, almost like something written for children:17. Taean Work SystemOK, this is about the degree of self-management at the factory level. Do workers rate each other's performance or are they rated by a manager or a mix? Do they elect managers? I wonder, how big is the overall income differential and how big is a task's default and the performance bonus, respectively? How is assignment of tasks and planning free days done? Can a manager have final say over removing somebody who is really incompetent (according to the manager, at least) or is there a higher body hearing both sides?It is a people-centred system of economic management, whereby the masses of the people are the real masters of economic management, managing and operating the economy in a scientific and rational way…That's nice to hear, but doesn't answer anything I wonder about.According to an American investment bank report, the DPRK has about USD 3.7 trillion’s worth of mineral deposits. Le Monde estimated them at USD 6 trillion.Eeh, don't you guys have your own estimates? And they should be stated in physical terms.many places and regions including Pyongyang are being laid out as socialist fairylandsReal quote.The intellectual property rights are fully protected by law in the DPRK.I got two comments here. 1. Boooo! 2. I don't believe that they really follow through with all of that. Film clips by the DPRK use all sorts of music and I strongly doubt they have paid for Michael Jackson and so on.

13 months ago

Chase Collins

The intellectual property rights are fully protected by law in the DPRK.So are they clearly upheld in China too.

I hope the US gets the pueblo back in negotiations. Perviously the DPRK offered to give it back if the secretary of state came to pyongyang for talks.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Pueblo_(AGER-2)#Offer_to_repatriate

13 months ago

Gavin Brown

"Rocking out" to the death of socialism on the Korean Peninsula"Rocking out" to another "Well i guess that wasnt REAL Socialism XD" meme for LiberalsHow about No

So it seem like there can be no reunification without socialist revolution in South Korea?

Considering the right-wing presence in various parts of society and government and military, then to think of reunification is too early.

Maybe the opposite of what is in the world regarding the movement of capital and people. Make free movement of people possible while disable all capital flows across the border between the Koreas.

If some people want to escape Hell Joseon with its insane corporate workoholism, stress, poverty, then who are we to deny them a chance for a better life in the socialism. But then this would weaken the revolutionary potential of South. But what revolutionary potential is there when people are so apathetic?

Pic related is "Tree Nursery No. 122", one of the many tree nurseries in the DPRK to combat deforestation and exhaustive cultivation. I'm posting this because some guy claimed that there are "dystopian wastelands" in the DPRK.

even the dirtiest capitalist city can sustain a controlled greenhouse. NK has actual nature.

13 months ago

Isaiah Baker

North Korea cucked into giving up three American spies. "Trying to overthrow your government was just a prank. Hahaha now let us go"The great "Anti-imperialists" get defeated again. Remember jucheists, if you kill your enemies, they win.

It's all about making China and Russia more comfortable. It has nothing to do with America or being "cucked." They don't need (more) nukes if they are on good terms with the south and China has their back.

13 months ago

Ayden Turner

USA transforms half their country into their personal rape colonyNK wants sign a peace treaty meaning they can never invade SK every againAnd they want to give up their nukes because "duuuude, it's totally wrong to kill millions, nukes cause cancer"

most cucked country on earth.

13 months ago

Kevin Fisher

they want to give up their nukesNot true.

13 months ago

Jose Roberts

They don't want to do that and they're probably not going to now that the idiot destroyed the Iran deal.

Since someone ITT was asking me long ago about more of these futuristic architectural sketches and projects in the DPRK, there is currently an architectural festival currently going on there. I only have this pic, which is a bad resolution, but I'm sure the Korean media will release more footage.

If the dissolution of the USSR taught us anything, its that any kind of restructuring of socialist society should start at the economic. Doing glasnost/perestroika in North Korea would just end in the same way as Russia 1991. Number one priority in the process of opening up and reunification of the Koreas is to institute more effective planning mechanisms for the inevitable influx of new goods, services, and people. Update computer systems, eliminate as much unnecessary planning bureaucracy as possible while building up new managerial institutions for future economic activity, allow for more mobility among state enterprises and government positions to ensure people with the optimal technical knowledge will end up at the right positions.

Etc. But what they cannot afford to do is allow the soft power of US/South Korean pop culture to ruin everything.

12 months ago

Colton Peterson

They probably just admire the DPRK's strong tradition and nationalism.

12 months ago

Easton Scott

or maybe they're fukken socialists

12 months ago

Hunter Campbell

nothing is socialist ever

12 months ago

John Cooper

UNCONFIRMED LEAK ABOUT NORTH KOREAN PRISONS

According to a guy who works in the DPRK, this is a schedule for a day in the North Korean prisons ("labor camps"). Notice the long breaks and early bedtime. North Korean prisons seem to be better than US prisons.

Looks better than some dorms at South Korean universities. One bed in a room is a luxury. In south korea, similarly sized room has two beds. Sometimes a private bathroom which sort of makes it comparable. But it looks like a regular dorm room.

Korean Central Television (KCTV) 조선중앙텔레비죤Korean Educational and Cultural Television 조선교육문화텔레비죤Mansudae Television 만수대 텔레비죤Sport Television

Don't believe the lies spoken by the traitorous poisonous mushroom that grew on a pile of human waste.

It looks worse than my dorm did when I was in college, but not by much. Most people there had old fridges and tvs as hand me downs too.

12 months ago

Jaxon Phillips

The only reason why people say that this dorm is worse is the fact that it has CRT-TV and that there are boxes on the hallway I guess. In terms of furniture, it's on par with how my dorm looked liked, one bed per room is also not bad. LCD-TV screens do exist in the DPRK, there are just not as many to give a single one to every student yet.

Also, another thing: In my country, unless you go to some elite private college, you are not sponsered a TV. You have to bring your own. I think that's worth pointing out.

These are not photos approved by the North Korean media. They are taken by a Vietnamese exchange student. This dorm is not a showcase. I still highly doubt you'll find similar dorms in a capitalist country with the same economic magnitude in terms of GDP, such as many African countries.

12 months ago

Ryder Hall

Housing in rural areas, first picture taken by an amateur, second one from the North Korean media.

North Korean prisons seem to be better than US prisons.They seem to be better than "free" US citizen jobs.

no bunkbedsFucking jealous, DPRK students get more privacy than we do.

Comfy. DPRK Non Non Biyori when?

12 months ago

Ethan Sullivan

God what sort of soil IS THAT? How the fuck can they grow quite literally any crops on that? It just looks like broken concrete.

12 months ago

Christian Perez

in poorer countries where the government can't afford putting all th expensive cables down they are still common. You can find them in everywhere in places like Kyrgyzistan, hell, you might even see it rural areas in Eastern Europe.

My dorm was a shared flat with 7 people, we had our rooms but it was packed as fucked with just one smaller kitchen and a small bathroom. Fucking gross. The hallway was full of graffiti and scribblings and the building was what one would call a "commieblock" with pre-cast concrete plates. No wonder everybody was obsessed with getting drunk all the time.

My grandpa lives in a rich country in a main city and still has one. He's 86 though.

12 months ago

Colton Price

This is the statement by North Korean government that got all the western news networks to condemn John Bolton who mentioned the Libya-model, instead of actually examining the issue itself like real news should do.

When asked if prison life was bearable, he replied: "Yes, people here are very considerate. But my health is not in the best condition, so there are some difficulties. But, everyone here is considerate and generous, and we have doctors here, so I'm getting regular check-ups."[34]Fuck dude… How can I get in a DPRK prison? I'm sick of life here.

12 months ago

Juan Moore

They seem to be better than "free" US citizen jobs.This.tfw had a single 30 minute break at my minwage burger job that started at a quarter till 5 am and ended around 2 pm some daystfw the managers had a worse time of it

TRUMP CANCELS MEETING WITH DPRKPresident Donald Trump has cancelled a much-anticipated summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, “based on the tremendous anger and open hostility” from Kim, who threatened the US with a “nuclear to nuclear showdown.“I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting,” read the letter, sent a few hours after North Korea blew up its nuke testing site at Punggye-ri. The demolition was witnessed by a small pool of foreign journalists, and was considered a goodwill gesture from Kim ahead of the planned summitDaily reminder that it was America who cancelled the talks and doesn't want peacert.com/usa/427665-trump-cancels-june-meeting-kim/

12 months ago

Austin Flores

THE NIGHTMARE CONTINUESBut seriously what the fuck do we make out of this? Are we seriously going to bomb NK now?

Are we seriously going to bomb NK Trump's gearing up to bomb everyone not toeing the American-drawn line right now. Threatening Iran with demands, torpedoing talks with the DPRK, preparing to possibly recognize Israeli claims over the Golan Heights. Neocon Don has been unleashed

12 months ago

Justin Perry

Nah, this may be what finally pushes SK away from America. What Kim has to do now is organise another summit with SK, and Moon may remove US troops on his own accord.

12 months ago

Dominic Walker

that letterdoes he have 4th graders typing for him

12 months ago

Chase Richardson

Sounds like he wrote it himself based on the wording, so no surprises hereIf you change your mind having to do with this most important sunmit, please do not hesitate to me or write

I mean, he wrote that letter literally hours after they dismantled their nuclear test area.

12 months ago

Ethan King

That signature thoJesus, even I have a better signature

12 months ago

Gabriel Nelson

I wonder how they will react to this.probably not that well since Trump and Pence both threatened to do a Libya style air campaign against NK Also, this will piss off the South Koreans and Chinese too

12 months ago

Brody Butler

Libya style air campaignI am sure that will go swimmingly.

12 months ago

Carson Bell

attacks Syria twicepulls out of Paris Climate Dealrecognizes Jerusalem as Israeli capitalkept troops in Afghanistanput more US troops in Syriabiggest military budget everdestroys talks with DPRKpossible recognition of Golan Heights immanentappoints Bolton as advisorPompeo as SoSM-maga?

12 months ago

Parker Kelly

I didn't even mention anything about Iran either

12 months ago

Jaxson Davis

US student here. This is pretty comparable with a 'good quality' US single dorms honestly, other than the internet, cooling systems, communal bathroom. Wouldn't live in it (because muh shitposting + muh autism makes it hard to shower in a public area), but yeah.

12 months ago

Blake Nelson

The US is not going to bomb a nuclear-equipped country.

12 months ago

Connor Carter

What about a sort of "decapitory strike" on the DPRK's leadership that's talked about occasionally?

12 months ago

Kevin Nguyen

Leaders are replaceable, doubt it's gonna cripple them.

12 months ago

Anthony Rivera

Not gonna happen. The US would get nuked, and deserve it.

12 months ago

Lincoln Taylor

Hope they at least nuke DC rather than an urban area if that ever happens

12 months ago

Adam Russell

Washington DC is a city of over 6 million people on 61 square miles of land…it's a quite urban area.

Yeah I though that after my post but at least those who deserve it will be among the dead

12 months ago

Adam Nelson

Statement of DPRK First Vice-Minister of Foreign AffairsPyongyang, May 25 (KCNA) – Kim Kye Gwan, first vice-minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, issued the following statement Friday upon authorization:The historic summit is now high on the agenda between the DPRK and the U.S., and the preparations for it are being pushed forward at the final stage amid the remarkably great concern of the world.The sincere pursuit and active efforts made by the DPRK to end the relations of hostility and distrust that have lasted for decades and build a new landmark for the improvement of the DPRK-U.S. relations have commanded unanimous sympathy and support from the public at home and abroad.But suddenly President of the United States of America Trump made public his official stand on May 24 to cancel the DPRK-U.S. summit that had already been made a fait accompli.From KCNA

12 months ago

Colton Barnes

What "tremendous anger and open hostility" is he talking about?

12 months ago

Gavin Campbell

After the US kept talking about unilateral denuclearization and continued doing the Max Thunder drills, the North said they might have to cancel talks. Bolton mentioned the Libya model, then Pence said if Kim tries to play Trump they'd end up like Libya did. Obviously the DPRK was not pleased and replied:We will neither beg the U.S. for dialogue nor take the trouble to persuade them if they do not want to sit together with us. Whether the U.S. will meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at nuclear-to-nuclear showdown is entirely dependent upon the decision and behavior of the United States. (from KCNA) And then Trump cancelled it as far as I can tell for that (justified) "threat"

Apparently, you should let tons of foreign, hostile journalists freely take footage from your military restricted area or it's not real commieism.the entire country side along the train route was a restricted military area? hmmmmmmmmmmmmAnd at least get your story right, the windows were allegedly covered by blinds, not blacked out.semantics

12 months ago

Nathan Clark

You're retarded user, this is common practice in all military reporting. The point is to avoid giving off special strategic positions.

12 months ago

Josiah Adams

Trump calls off/delays summit with the DPRKMoon decides to go ahead and meet up with Kim again for the second time in like a month without telling the US in advancethe absolute mad man

12 months ago

Hunter Martinez

this is common practice in all military reporting. proofs?

12 months ago

Blake Gray

Just go read some articles reporting on the ground with Syrian factions, reporters usually get the "blindfolded in a car" treatment while they're transported to a meeting location.

the entire country side along the train route was a restricted military area?Might as well be, they're still at war.

semanticsBlacked windows would mean everybody who ever rides the train is forbidden to look out. Blinded windows mean the journalists weren't allowed to prey upon pictures of rural poverty to btfo the commies on some south korean tabloid.

12 months ago

Adrian Bell

Blinded windows mean the journalists weren't allowed to prey upon pictures of rural poverty to btfo the commies on some south korean tabloid.so we agree that North Korea is probably trying to hide the embarrassing abject poverty that likely exists in the rural countryside?That does seem more likely than significant military installations along the route.

12 months ago

Bentley Diaz

They don't cover the windows on tourist busses and they go right through the countryside. You see a lot of bumpy roads, bestial labor, manual labor, etc.

That being said, Red Cross workers are allowed in the rural areas and work there.

So your hypothesis doesn't hold much ground.

12 months ago

Ryder Evans

That being said, Red Cross workers are allowed in the rural areas and work there.Based on some quick research it seems like the DPRK red cross is basically a state run agency, and the ICRC only has a handful of people in the country. They are based in pyongyang

They don't cover the windows on tourist busses and they go right through the countryside.good pointperhaps tourists are only transported through parts of the country that are comparatively well off.

To what extent is the DPRK a democracy? I know there is supposed to be a system of "proletarian" democracy where candidates are nominated by some council and then confirmed with a yes/no vote by the public. Does it work like that in practice, or are candidates more or less chosen by the party in a top-down sort of way?

Is their system of workplace democracy in practice in most workplaces or is it limited to only a few collective farms?

How much power does KJU himself have? Does he have close to unlimited power (the way it's usually assumed by westerners)?

Is the DPRK justice system as bad as it's portrayed? Are the conditions in the "prison camps" much worse than the prisons in most other countries? Do they have an unusually large prison population? Are people sent to prison for simply criticizing the government? Do the people in the DPRK have rights like freedom of speech?

I never really got into the DPRK. All I knew was, that mostly everything we hear about it in the west are blatant lies or exaggerations. I pretty much left it at that and didn't bother to get to know it any further. But after I got into China (A state I also dismissed as revisionist and Capitalist before I educated myself) I wanted to get into it. I appreciate their efforts for implementing workplace democracy. I know that they have Workers councils that manage the economy and their workplaces (just like in other socialist states) but I can't seem to like Juche and the idea that the masses need to have a leader wich represents them, I also don't like their form of leadership wich is held inside the family. I can be wrong of course but this is all I managed to get so far. I would love for someone to correct me or tell me how things are, thank you!

so we agree that North Korea is probably trying to hide the embarrassing abject poverty that likely exists in the rural countryside?Of course. 99% of the rural areas in the world are poor and downtrodden. Difference being that if you take of one these in the dprk and the whole world will run headlines saying this is what socialism does to countries depose evil dictator kim now

That does seem more likely than significant military installations along the route.They are at war, even capturing pictures of their countryside may reveal intel that satellites couldn't.

You don't really have to like Juche imo. As long as you don't go parroting the slander that NK "dropped" socialism, understanding that Juche is an implementation (or extension) of ML, should be enough.

12 months ago

Lucas Morales

I think that Chinese capitalists and imperialists support North Korea to defend their empire and discredit true socialism.It really not real socialism, in true social > national. I of course against US imperialism, but DPRK just puppet of China.And also nazi support DPRK.

Some turbo-nerd Nazis do like Atomwaffen and Heimbach when he was still nominally "in charge" of something, but I remember him being clowned on by other Nazis for that. There's really not a lot of Nazis out there who are looking at the DPRK as a model.

The DPRK's electoral and political system is similar to that of the GDR and some other ex-socialist countries: there's of course the vanguard party (the WPK) and an organization known as the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, which includes two other parties as well as mass organizations (trade unions, women, etc.) linked to the WPK.

The two other parties accept the leading role of the WPK and the socialist system. The Front is responsible for putting forward candidates to be nominated in each seat.

What presumably happens is the WPK leadership gets together with functionaries of the Front and the two parties and says "these are the candidates the Front ought to put forward in each seat." Local meetings of the Front are held in which citizens can attend to support or reject candidates. The whole slate is then put forward at election time for the population to vote for or against.

I don't know if any candidates during the nomination stage end up turned down due to public rejection, I assume either it never happens or it's very rare. Presumably it's more common on a strictly local level (towns, villages.)

As for the election itself, in 2009 "99.98 per cent of the registered voters turned out at the polls and 100 per cent of the participants voted for the proposed candidates."

And since it seems pretty silly to assume basically every single person in the country isn't willing to make so much as a protest vote against the government, it can be assumed elections in practice fall short of democratic needs.

I'm sure Kim Jong Un can't do literally anything he wants (e.g. if he says "I want to abolish socialism and have the DPRK become a part of Yemen," the army would presumably overthrow him), but the whole society and Juche ideology is structured around revering Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un. I'm sure if he says he wants something done, efforts are made to do it.

I can't really answer the other questions. There is a book from the 1970s that does talk a bit about workplace democracy (or at least Kim Il Sung's conception of it) though: b-ok.xyz/book/1229113/bd8075

That answer leaves out the fact that people decide who the party candidates are in local caucuses before they vote.

12 months ago

Jackson Morris

As for the election itself, in 2009 "99.98 per cent of the registered voters turned out at the polls and 100 per cent of the participants voted for the proposed candidates."And since it seems pretty silly to assume basically every single person in the country isn't willing to make so much as a protest vote against the government, it can be assumed elections in practice fall short of democratic needs.Is it seriously that far-fetched to think people wouldn't boycott a ballot?

12 months ago

Noah Jenkins

every single person in the country isn't willing to make so much as a protest voteYour reasoning is faulty. If one in a million does a protest vote, then that is 0.0001 %. Which will effectively be rounded to 0 %. Heck, 99.50 % could still be rounded to 100 %. Just because they say 100 % does not mean that it means literally every single person.

Though it is indeed suspect. Why is the turnout so great if everyone is voting for the same candidate anyway? Well, we don't know if it's the truth or not.

How do you guys defend the nepotism of the DPRK and the assassination of Kim Jong-nam? Seems pretty feudal to me.

12 months ago

Blake Brown

Seems pretty feudal to meHow is it feudal?

12 months ago

Caleb Morgan

Well, the same dynasty has been in power for 70 years and they recently assassinated a would be heir/throne pretender. I'm not saying the economy or system is feudal, just the line of succession and the Kim-dynasty.

12 months ago

Isaac Foster

It's strange but not feudal. I think the militarism gets to their heads.

anything new on this?this, it's what i heard from most people that lived in the GDR that aren't just salty and talk shit because they were and usually still are politically illiterate and lazy

12 months ago

Landon Sanders

US-North Korea: Trump says summit with Kim is back onDonald Trump's summit with Kim Jong-un in Singapore on 12 June is back on, the US president says, a week after it was scrapped.He also said that North Korea "wanted to do denuclearisation", although the North did not confirm thisbbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44339003

Kim Jong Un said that the DPRK's will for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula still remains unchanged and consistent and fixed and he hoped that the DPRK-U.S. relations and the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula will be solved on a stage-by-stage basis by finding a solution to meet the interests of each other through a new method in a new era and under a new situation and the solution of the issues will progress through effective and constructive dialogue and negotiation.rodong.rep.kp/en/index.php?strPageID=SF01_02_01&newsID=2018-06-01-0001I still think there's some sort of disconnect between what Trump sees as denuclearization (capitulation) and what Kim wants. I still think the talks will come to nothing as the US won't budge on troops or anything. They think they are the ones laying down the rules here

I think Kim's plan is to be as reasonable as possible, have the US reject it because Bolton is a fucking idiot and then show SK how mad the yankee dogs have become.

12 months ago

Luke Phillips

I'll be stunned if Bolton will be able to keep his mouth shut from threatening the DPRK with Libya analogies for eleven whole days. I'm still laughing at the US government having the audacity to blame Kim for being hostile after that LMAO

Alex Lockie is a particularly insipid writer for businessinsider. An insipid and idiotic website.

12 months ago

Jonathan Morgan

Our twin gods will meet in person soon. This will boost communism in the world like never before, and nobody's lifetime in history will be more blessed than ours. I don't know if my hearts will resist.

1.) "Korea Today" is their offical international magazine, they send it out to anybody who orders it, check out their online book store.

2.) That critique of Juche is a bit outdated, it focuses merely on the construction of socialism in Korea, it complains that landowners got compensated for their expropriation, but seriously, who gives a fuck? The DPRK didn't have a famine in that time and constant improvement of living standards and private property was abolished. Also, remember how bunkerman's country collapsed due to a fucking worker's strike.

"Korea Today" is their offical international magazine, they send it out to anybody who orders it, check out their online book store.Read the second link. Those nazi weirdos actually did have some ties to the DPRK government. One of them was invited there on a trip.

it complains that landowners got compensated for their expropriation, but seriously, who gives a fuck?I don't really care much about that as long as the "let's be nice to the capitalists" attitude isn't a cover for outright fascist style class collaboration, where socialism means authoritarianism + a form of state ownership that preserves the worker-capitalist relation.

What really fucking rubs me the wrong way about Juche is the focus on the great leader (and to some extent the nationalism). Most ML states had retarded cults of personality around their leaders, but juche makes it a very explicit part of the ideology. It's almost like some führerprinzip kinda shit.

<The party’s line and policies, strategy and tactics, are put forward by the leader… The leader is the supreme controller of the party, and the party’s leadership is precisely his leadership. Remaining unwaveringly loyal to the leader … is a natural communist obligation<The leader … plays the decisive role in shaping the destiny of the popular masses… Loyalty to the leader is the highest expression of the party, working-class and people-oriented spirit.<The revolutionary struggle is conducted under the guidance of the leader and in accordance with his ideas and will… The more we are faithful to the leader’s ideology and will, … the more worthy a life … we shall enjoy.<The basic criterion for deciding whether one is a member of the masses of the people or not is not one’s social and class origin, but one’s ideas. … Anyone who loves the country, the people and the nation … is qualified to be a member of the masses of the people. <In socialist society, the transformation of man, his ideological remoulding, becomes a more important and primary task than that of creating the material and economic condtions of socialism

Read the second link. Those nazi weirdos actually did have some ties to the DPRK government. One of them was invited there on a trip.I know, and AFAIK the DPRK severed relations after they started posting white supremacist shit on their website. I remember reading that they've sent them a letter telling them to stop that, and then did so after this group continue to do that. Posing with a "Korea Today" magazine says nothing though.

I don't really care much about that as long as the "let's be nice to the capitalists" attitude isn't a cover for outright fascist style class collaboration, where socialism means authoritarianism + a form of state ownership that preserves the worker-capitalist relation.Then please point out where the DPRK left capitalists in power, I'm not talking about the nascent markets in the contemporary DPRK but the building of socialism under Kim Il Sung, which what the expressostalinist article and similar critiques of Juche focus at, this type of critcism seems to be extremly dishonest quote mining, it's a fucking stretch to say that they are class collaborationist, please point out a single private owner of MoP in Korea. Read the book I've posted. The DPRK didn't do things differently than the USSR and other socialist states, in some cases even enhanced it, like a 100% labor tax on agricultural cooperatives and the Daen Work System, both established under Kim Il Sung.

It's especially funny that this critique would come from Hoxhaists idealize Albania to a ridiculous degree, what about Hoxha's name showing up in fucking math textbooks praising him as the great teacher of the people, is that not a personailty cult? Fascist style class collaboration and explicit social conservatism is a problem, which the DPRK doesn't have, there is nationalism and a personality cult, but neither of it changes the material base of North Korean society.

12 months ago

Jeremiah Hernandez

Probably the biggest seafood restaurant of the world just opened in the DPRK.

nice seafood is capitalistYou are one of these people who bought all the memes about socialism = breadlines and thought that's the only way socialism could look like. How dare they to build nice stuff.

12 months ago

Noah Hall

Oh and also let me that the space the fish have in that pool is ten times better and nicer than the space in a western seafood restaurant, if you ever went there.

12 months ago

Jonathan Roberts

socialism is when you don't have food and everything is a commie blocklook mom i'm retardedalso polite sage since i don't contribute

Ah yes these unrelated contextless images really prove your point. Just look at all the socialism.

12 months ago

Tyler Ramirez

the space the fish have in that pool is ten times better and nicer than the space in a western seafood restaurantI give you that it's a big pool. But there are quite a lot of fish in there.

You can't even back up your claim with anything.

12 months ago

Kayden Miller

There's nothing beyond what a worker needs that the state should supply to anyone. Exotic seafood and lavish neon lightning is not what a worker needs, so too shall a beaurocrat not need. If a beaurocrat wants some shellfish he can go fishing. Must be a lot of water fearing beaurocrats in DPRK.

12 months ago

Jordan Morales

Socialism, fellow comrades, is when everybody wears a burlap sack and eats only gravel.

12 months ago

Lincoln Walker

Sounds like what a beaurocrat desperate to keep his hold on the workers would say by intentionally diminishing worker's needs to make it seem commically inadequate for everyone. Absolutely fallacious.Burlap sack does not provide adequate protection against nature's elements, be it cold or hot. Gravel isn't even a food, doesn't provide any nutrients and will malnourish a worker.If you want to prove your point you should argue why a worker needs lavish seafood and neon lightning. Actually not even considering the worker, you still fail to argue for the presence of those elements in a socialist state.

12 months ago

Ian Martin

why seafoodBecause it is tasty.why neon lightBecause it looks good.

12 months ago

Brayden Allen

I give you that it's a big pool. But there are quite a lot of fish in there.I know but have you ever been to a live seafood restaurant? They usually cram so much fish in there that the entire tank is black with dead fish on the ground.

12 months ago

Jaxon Bell

Dude you are more bureaucratic than them by telling workers they don't need seafood.

The DPRK is truly an interesting tree for left-wing anti-communists to rub against. When something is shit there, it's a hellhole, when they build nice stuff is supposedly also bad because workers don't need lavish stuff.

Foreign sanctions against fertilizer precursors are "government policies"You could make a case for this I guess, since the sanctions come from the DPRK's policies of refusing to let international porky rape their country.

11 months ago

Isaiah Jenkins

Yeah this is fucking embarrassing.Dank. They sure have a strange way of creating a story narrative in what is a non-fiction docu. It watched very much like a "Kim's adventure in the big city" type story, especially with the framing of the trip between the departure and arrival at the airport.

The comments are a bleak reminder of who really has a false impression of the other. Westerners project their lack of knowledge of what the DPRK is like on the people of the DPRK.

11 months ago

Lincoln Sullivan

rifleing squad i wish one shot this furry tbh

11 months ago

Daniel Rivera

You like the DPRK? but shuffles deck hm rolls dice french people are executed for speaking manderin with a nigerian accent

11 months ago

Austin Howard

To no one's surprise, sanctions are to continue regardless of what the DPRK does in regards to their nuclear program

White House is continuing national emergency on North Korea, saying it poses "an unusual & extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy & economy of the United States."Extends sanctions for another year regardless of denuclearization processrt.com/news/430587-trump-prolongs-sanctions-korea/

How LGBT-friendly is the DPRK? I really want to go, but I happen to be trans - will that be a problem? Wikipedia says so, but obviously that doesn’t mean much. Any trans comrades been?

11 months ago

Juan Parker

You mean if you would have any problem as tourist? of course not (maybe living there you would experience some rejection as apparently Koreans in general are conservatibve , same in ROK)But Homosexuality as well as Trsexuality are not banned in th DPRK, and you would have no problem with the state .Some info I've found

"North Korea claims that all citizens are treated equally regardless of sexual orientation"

"North Korean depictions of love and marriage remain heterosexist however, the North Korean government has liberalized its views on marriage and love as private matters between consenting adults,No laws criminalized this in the constitution and or police arresting people for doing this"

Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System (Chosŏn'gŭl: 당의 유일사상체계확립의 10대 원칙; also known as the "Ten Principles of the One-Ideology System") are a set of ten principles and 65 clauses which establishes standards for governance and guides the behaviors of the people of North Korea.

The Ten Principles must be memorized by every citizen, and they ensure absolute loyalty and obedience to Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un. The Principles are integral to the political and daily lives of the people and are to be exercised through daily self-criticism sessions, in their work, school, etc. and forms the foundation of the country's pervasive cult of personality.

1. We must give our all in the struggle to unify the entire society with the revolutionary ideology of the Great Leader Kim Il-sung.

2. We must honor the Great Leader comrade Kim Il-sung with all our loyalty.

3. We must make absolute the authority of the Great Leader comrade Kim Il-sung.

4. We must make the Great Leader comrade Kim Il-sung's revolutionary ideology our faith and make his instructions our creed.

5. We must adhere strictly to the principle of unconditional obedience in carrying out the Great Leader comrade Kim Il-sung's instructions.

6. We must strengthen the entire party's ideology and willpower and revolutionary unity, centering on the Great Leader comrade Kim Il-sung.

7. We must learn from the Great Leader comrade Kim Il-sung and adopt the communist look, revolutionary work methods and people-oriented work style.

8. We must value the political life we were given by the Great Leader comrade Kim Il-sung, and loyally repay his great political trust and thoughtfulness with heightened political awareness and skill.

9. We must establish strong organizational regulations so that the entire party, nation and military move as one under the one and only leadership of the Great Leader comrade Kim Il-sung.

10.We must pass down the great achievement of the revolution by the Great Leader comrade Kim Il-sung from generation to generation, inheriting and completing it to the end.

Is this shit real or is wikipedia making shit up? This is a level of leader worship that the USSR under Stalin or China under Mao couldn't even come close to. I think cults of personality and unquestioned subordination and loyalty to those in power is inherently right-wing and authoritarian.

11 months ago

Colton Phillips

I dont like the DPRK but this stinks of made up bullshit

11 months ago

Matthew Sullivan

You can find all works about Juche on North Korean websites. This supposed document is not to be found there, the only source is the NKHR, an anti-North Korean, South Korean NGO. Think about it: If it truly was their great guiding principle, it would have been in their consitution or in other offically published texts. It's especially weird since other North Korean texts are easily traceable to North Korean publications.

So I do think it's bullshit. Link me to the North Korean text that says that.

11 months ago

William Mitchell

Expect them to go from zero advertising to complete wall to wall billbords. Like the other Asian countries did when they joined the global economy.

11 months ago

Xavier Anderson

lol.

Although you can tell by their age they are obviously higher up party members rather than people who had a previous interest in K-pop.The young North Koreans who buy K-pop on the black market wouldnt dare show up to that.

11 months ago

Austin Taylor

He was going to meet some CIA agents IIRC, if anything the fact that he was killed shows nepotism isn't strong in the DPRK.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_DresnokAfter Bumbea's death, Dresnok married his third wife, the daughter of a North Korean woman and a Togolese diplomat. They had a son, Tony, in 2001.Both the younger James and older Ted Dresnok are now married and have children of their own in North Korea.

<liberals claim DPRK doesn't allow Koreans to marry non-Koreans in order to maintain purity of the Korean race

The DPRK side had expected the US side would come with a constructive proposal, which would be conducive to building confidence, in keeping with the spirit of the summit meeting and talks, and thought of doing something commensurate with that.However, US side’s attitude and stand at the first high-level talks on July 6 and 7 were so regrettable.The DPRK side, during the talks, put forward the constructive proposals to seek a balanced implementation of all the provisions of the joint statement, out of its invariable willingness to faithfully implement the spirit and agreed points of the summit meeting and talks.It proposed discussing the matters of taking wide-ranging actions simultaneously such as realizing multilateral exchanges for improved relations, making public a declaration on the end of war on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the conclusion of the Korean Armistice Agreement first in the efforts to build a peace mechanism on the Korean peninsula, dismantling the high-thrust engine test site to make a physical verification of the suspension of ICBM manufacture as part of the measure for denuclearization and making an earliest start of the working-level negotiations for recovering POW/MIA remains.The US side, however, came out with only unilateral and gangster-like demand for denuclearization, just talking about CVID, declaration and verification contrary to the spirit of the Singapore summit meeting and talks.The US side, without mentioning the issue of establishing a peace regime on the Korean peninsula which is essential for preventing the aggravation of situation and a war, took the attitude of even backtracking on the already agreed issue of declaring the end of war while attaching certain conditions and making certain excuses.As for the issue of announcing the declaration of the end of war as early as possible, it is the first process of defusing tension and establishing a lasting peace mechanism on the Korean peninsula and, at the same time, the primary factor in building confidence between the DPRK and the US. This issue is also stipulated in the Panmunjom Declaration adopted between the north and south of Korea as a historic task of terminating the state of war that has persisted on the Korean peninsula for nearly 70 years, and President Trump was more enthusiastic about the issue at the DPRK-US summit talks.The matters the US side insisted on at the talks are the stumbling block which the previous administrations had clung to, thereby disrupting dialogue processes, stoking distrust and increasing the danger of war.The US side, during the talks, overplayed as a big concession the temporary cancellation of one or two joint military exercises. But the suspension of such one action as military rehearsal is a highly reversible step which can be resumed at any moment anytime as all of its military forces remain intact in their positions without scrapping even a rifle. It is incomparable with the irreversible step the DPRK took to explode and scrap its nuclear test site.The results of the talks cannot but be termed a thing of extremely serious concern.We had thought that the US side would come with a constructive proposal in conformity with the spirit of the DPRK-US summit meeting and talks, but our expectation and hope were so naive as to be called foolish.Outdated ways can never create new things, and following the trite ever-failing stereotype will only result in another failure.The first DPRK-US high-level talks brought us in a dangerous situation where we may be shaken in our once unshakable will for denuclearization, rather than consolidating confidence between the two countries.In the last few months, we took well-intentioned measures as much as possible first, while watching the US with the maximum patience.But, the US seems to have misunderstood our goodwill and patience.It is fundamentally mistaken as much as to think that the DPRK would accept, out of patience, even the demands reflecting its gangster-like mentality.But if the US is so anxious that it tries to force upon us the old ways claimed by the previous administrations, this will be of no help to the solution of issues..

Aircraft win wars, karate kicks do not. Any country that can control it's airspace can prevent invasion.

This much is backed by history. It's why Nazi Germany spent so much money on the Luftwaffe, which spearheaded the Nazi advances across the Maginot Line into France and across Poland into Russia before shredding London. The only thing that defeated the Axis was the Allies building bigger, faster and more fuel efficient bombers to destroy Axis industrial capacity within cities like Dresden and Hiroshima. Postwar, it is why both the US and USSR blew incredible amounts of money developing bombers then missiles, because that is how wars are fought and territory lost or gained.

Feats of endurance and physical strength do not help. Why do you think America's primary concern about North Korea isn't even their nukes, but their missile program? Because the missile can fly and hit America directly.

Aircraft wins wars against the militaries of the bourgeois states. Our war should be against the whole bourgeois superstructure. For that mass strike is the number one method to starve the military-industrial complex of its fuel. Any punitive measures will incite further rebellion against it.

For that our weapon is dual power and expropriation of productive capabilities and using it for benefit of all working class and to starve the bourgeoisie at the same time. Or use other methods to severe the social relation of private property, probably by means that minimize loss of human life and ensure that private property stays in the dustbin of history.

While the korean nation must organize in the fashion of nation-states, the western world has a luxury of not having to follow the nation-state organization pattern.

Feats of endurance and physical strength helped a long time ago when the Zulu were fighting against English imperial forces and the native american indians were fighting against colonizers. The superior level of human spirit of the primitive communism put the lowly civilized scum produced by the capitalist system to shame. After all Engels himself admits the accounts of great character of the people living in primitive communism.

Cruise missiles are supposed to hit the mansions of the top 1%. Atomic weapons only cause harm to working classes. The nations that stockpiles them the most sends a clear message, it declared war on world's poorest 90%. A genocide of the poor.

Just as someone already said, the parasites already started the class war.

tl;dr: violent revolt of the masses and their struggle is what wins the class war, nation states of whatever colour do not win the class war, they are at best a temporary relief from the suffering of capitalism

11 months ago

Nathaniel Bailey

Hypersonic missiles can be deployed from aircraft, as can lasers. Both have been widely studied by the USAF for this reason. It's why the YAL-1 and X-51 exist. Any weapon created can be miniaturized and put onto an aircraft, thereby making it mobile and more difficult to hit, increasing it's effectiveness. This is why Kim is building missiles in the first place, because they are mobile and makes it easier to build smaller missiles that can fit on aircraft.

tl;dr: violent revolt of the masses and their struggle is what wins the class war, nation states of whatever colour do not win the class war, they are at best a temporary relief from the suffering of capitalism

Cool, the masses cannot organize if they cannot control their airspace. Why do you think most larger American PDs have anti-drone guns now? They don't want to have bombs flown into them as ISIS has proven as a practically feasible strategy. The strongest, most disciplined and intelligent solider cannot win a fight against an attack helicopter. Which is exactly why air forces are necessary to win any armed conflict.

11 months ago

Bentley Price

The strongest, most disciplined and intelligent solider cannot win a fight against an attack helicopter.

The solider isn't winning that fight, the piece of technology he puts on his shoulder and fires is. Just look at how the Taliban got raped by Communism until America gave them Stinger missiles. Were they any different after they got missiles? Not really, except that they could control their airspace (from soviet helicopters and older soviet aircraft, at least). It is why Assad bought an S-300 from Russia, because it can shoot down older Israeli jets (which is why Israel was the first to take the F-35 into combat).

10 months ago

Asher Morgan

The solider isn't winning that fight, the piece of technology he puts on his shoulder and fires is.So a solider isn't winning unless he kills his enemy with his bare hands, huh

10 months ago

Jose Martinez

why are we always doing this? rationalizing a totalitarian tyrant because they have socialist in their title? this miscreant of a nation is obviously does not represent true socialism. he's already grovling at the feet of the imperialist ready to sell out at the first offer guarenteeing his freedom.

that's a nice fucking bus stop. Why would they even mention it if they wanna shit on NK?

10 months ago

Zachary Perez

The DPRK has a certain "exotic vibe" to it for the MSM. They still know nothing about the country, and it fits too well in stereotypical Asian clishes about tyranny, extremist formalism and exaggaration. The DPRK is presented as an exotic "hermit kingdom", where everybody wants to gawk at impressions from it, so bad impressions as well as architectural delights are presented simultaniously as proof of their "insanity" and "alien culture".

It's a different version of the old phenomenon where you are apparently so poor that people eat grass but you also stage an entire metropolis with actors and empty buildings for 15 tourists. To present suppossed "forbidden pictures" from the country have turned into a business model, you can see ads about "25 INSANE pictures from North Korea!!" on streaming websites, etc.

If a 100% state planning model has worked so well for the DPRK as You believe it has then tell me why it is almost entirely economically and politically reliant on the PRC To support it?Why not just compare the standard of living of the DPRK to other East Asian socialist states such as Laos Vietnam and china?

Very interesting video. It shows the DPRK in a pretty negative light, but it lets the people talk for themselves. It shows the unique situation the country is in, and the unusual mix of some forms of material prosperity, and a nearly post-oil economy. Some observations:- This video makes it very clear that there is a state religion. There's no way around it, they do have a religion formed around the state and the leader. IMO it's probably no worse than a normal religion, or the consumerist religions that are prominent in ROK (idol groups, etc), or the way that CEOs are revered (muh Steve Jobs), or muh Founding Fathers, but it must impede freethinking. I did get pretty tired of all the great leader songs and talk halfway through. If it helps preserve socialism and keep America off the peninsula, maybe it's justified, but it could also cause a lot of culture shock when Korea is reunified.- The teachers are seriously top notch, they are clearly rigorously trained in how to educate children. In terms of teaching method, every teacher in that video is world-class. The random people who got interviewed were also very well-informed on various scientific trivia and practical engineering.- Huge emphasis on ecology in the DPRK. Geothermal heating, solar panels, utmost waste reuse (the dung pit for methane, used to heat, cook, and generate electricity, the compost pile for fertilizer…), communal living. The countryside is totally pristine. The DPRK is showing us how to live in the future in this regard.- Everything is really clean and well-maintained, and decorated. Even the communal house, which was quite small, and had meager utilities, looked very nice inside. I doubt any other country is this way, even in Cuba the rural houses are quite worn-down and have old paint. I guess the DPRK has way better resources for building.- Traditional social roles. Granma is the boss of the house. Women cook. etc. - Military is huge in DPRK. The military really does serve the people, it seems like half of the work of the military is construction and farming. They obviously can't afford to have a million soldiers sit around in bases instead of working. The soldiers seem to work quite strenuously at these tasks, and then when they get out of the military or graduate to more of a desk job, they get to enjoy the benefits of the socialist system. I think the military could be a good replacement for migratory farmers and other forms of migratory work in socialism.- Half the people she interviewed seemed kind of glum and stressed out.30 mins left

10 months ago

Nathaniel Fisher

- factory lady says that the DPRK exports to the US and Canada through China, kek. This is probably true, maybe some of the "Made in China" clothes you own are actually from the DPRK.- the factory workers dance for exercise in between shifts. Dancing is a huge part of the system in the DPRK, it shows the focus on culture, health/fitness, and organization. I think the majority of people in most countries can barely dance, in the DPRK it's the opposite. I also don't think there are many other places on earth where part of work is dancing.- factory girl on the beach was pretty chubby. "Muh starving Koreans!"- Lots of stuff for free, including food and housing

Overall it's a good documentary, it's encouraging because it shows how successful the Korean people's struggle is and how decent the lives there are, but also pretty depressing because it shows how much the country is still struggling, and how the country has developed a very strict ideology to support the struggle. I think a similar documentary of the ROK would be like a mirror image of this one, where everyone is overworked instead of relaxed, brainwashed in capitalism instead of Juche Socialism, and swimming in an abundance of consumer products instead of living a simple and efficient existence. It's clear why the DPRK isn't going to dissolve any time soon: everyone knows that the enemy is the cause of their shortages, they have a respectable and healthy lifestyle to defend, and they have a pretty fanatic belief in the state. However, when Korea reunifies I think the belief system will have a lot of challenges, and it could cause Perestroika-style problems. I also think they could have probably developed an equally strong belief system that gave more credit to the workers instead of the leader.

10 months ago

Cooper Perry

I might add that this depends on the accuracy of the editing and translation.

10 months ago

Angel Morales

Tomorrow is the 65th anniversary of the fight against imperialism. Be sure to celebrate accordingly and honor the courage of those who fought against imperialism.

Nice documentary. Shows that everything is not rainbows and sunshine, but rather life is pretty normal, relaxed. Laid back.

The mannerism of the painter was rather amusing, something one would expect from south korean really.

In south they are of course aware of the reality of their lives, being overworked, unemployment, competitive practice in education, class system of various spoons. Then they have generations that give up things like home ownership, marriage, or even interpersonal relationship and become like hikikomoris. They know that it sucks. But are being kept from analyzing the situation and politically struggling for a more dignified positions by being slandered with having pro-north opinions. The DPRK is really demonized and you can see many normal people not question the official propaganda.

Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un paid tribute to martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the armistice of the 1950-53 Korean War, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Friday.Kim visited the Martyrs Cemetery of the Chinese People's Volunteers in Hoechang County, South Phyongan Province in central DPRK, said KCNA.He said with deep emotion that during the last Fatherland Liberation War, the party, government and people of China dispatched their fine sons and daughters to the Korean front without hesitation despite many difficulties in the early period of building a country to help the Korean people in their cause of justice at the cost of blood and made an immortal contribution to the victory in the war, according to KCNA."The blood of the Chinese comrades permeated the mountains and streams, trees and plants on this land and the soul of the Korean revolutionaries settled on the vast land of China," he was quoted as saying.Kim said the DPRK-China relations are developing into "special and durable friendly relations unprecedented in history," according to the report.The relations were forged in firm militant friendship and genuine trust deepened at the cost of blood and life, not merely for the reason that the two countries are geographically close to each other, Kim said.It is the due responsibility, moral sense of obligation and noble mission of the Korean people to add eternal luster to the exploits performed by the service personnel of the Chinese People's Volunteers who found themselves on the Korean front and displayed matchless bravery and self-sacrificing spirit, Kim underlined.

What's really stunning about these people isn't that they have a negative opinion about the DPRK, but that their beliefs about it are completely self-contradictory. DPRK is somehow extremely, extremely poor, but still has endless money and resources to spend on building entire cities that are fake, with actors who play fake citizens, only to impress the couple hundred tourists that visit each year. These people are incomprehensibly stupid.

10 months ago

Lucas Hernandez

support monarcho-fashisto totalitarian regime even as a south korean-american colony they would be better off

10 months ago

Anthony Jenkins

does north korea allow baboons on its street or does it confine them to zoos

10 months ago

Hunter Garcia

The Chinese volunteers of Korea are heroes and show proletarian internationalism taken to the end

Comrade Kim Jong Un saw the new prototype of tram and a trolleybus. As for the trolleybus, the chassis seems to be of local production. The tram however seems to be a rebuild of existing CKD Tatra KT8D5 imported from Czechoslovakia.

How can you survive as a small country without connection to the rest of the world? Of course they need to attract some foreign investment to not be stuck in the 80s, and the difference to the PRC is that in China, you don't have to go to a SEZ to start a business. You can start a capitalist business in China everywhere. The only difference is that in the SEZ it's even easier.

9 months ago

Luke Diaz

The post was more to mock people who pretend that the DPRK is still some complete planned model USSR / DDR style state

I have nothing wrong with a controlled social Market economy as long as it is in the benifit of the society

This was more for people who hate on Cuba for having Cabbies and sheit

9 months ago

Joshua Evans

If someone from ISIS controlled territory went to the US, entered a forbidden area and tried to steal a US flag or something, they'd be in gitmo being forced to listen to Justin beiber music for 72 hours straight away.

9 months ago

Jace Myers

I hate it myselfDon't fucking do it irl boyIt's not. You get some nasty stares tho. Much less dangerous than spouting shit about kimchi

Is N. Korea the only nation that actually succeeded in abandoning capitalism and move beyond? No pollution, no advertising, practically self sufficient, a cybernetic superpower feared even by the USA …

I have softened my stance on the DRPK a lot over time and I'm very pro-DPRK for an anarchist, but there really is one thing that keeps me wondering.What's with the gerontocrat gang surrounding kim in most photos? Whenever he's inspecting some factory there's an army of oldheads who look like korean war veterans (and they might just be)

There are a lot of gerontocrats but Kim has introduced a lot of fresh blood. The old guard was definitely more powerful under Kim Jong Il. Anyway, I do not see something "gerontocratic" in the policies of the DPRK, they embrace new technology, etc.

Self-assured, confident and proud women are really attractive, and in fact it is their mindset that translates to their body-language what makes them the most attractive.

Lack of advertisement has obviously also an effect. No propaganda that makes women feel bad about themselves, no need for artificial body positivity movements, because nobody is exposed with the heaps of negativity from the consumerist driven advertisement and consumer culture.

Only socialism is able to emancipate women and make women and men equals. Despite all the claims and demands of liberal feminism in the west, all it achieved was emancipation of western women at the cost of exploitation and subjugation of immigrant and third world women.

I gotta admit, reading the user who took a trip to North Korea I wouldn't mind visiting myself. I'm pretty sad I couldn't have been born in the 60s to visit the Soviet Union or DDR. Cuba and China are still available, of course, though China has obviously experienced major shifts that probably make it feel not much different than being in the west. I would like to visit Cuba, but unless I'm mistaken I'd have to go through Canada since I think we still block travel in the US.

The only downside which really makes me not want to go is that I don't want to bother with being questioned and watched, especially under the current administration.

8 months ago

Carson Torres

What is this? I like the guitarist, its a very basic thing shes playing but heavily nuanced, it kept me interested as a guitarist of 25 years.

8 months ago

Sebastian Howard

You can now travel to Cuba from Florida and Vice versaThough iirc thats mainly for Gusano Diaspora travelling back for Medical care

I want to know, what is the source for the belief that America invaded Korea? Is this representative of the North Korean citizens’ belief that America invaded the north in 1950, or is it a bending of their belief that America coming into Korea in 1945 was an invasion?

I’m curious because I don’t know who is telling the lie. It’s incontrovertible, as far as I understand, that NK invaded the south in 1950. But Korea was also never split to them, the split was artificial and the South government was considered illegitimate. So I could imagine the constantly repeated “the north believes America invaded them (which is false)” actually IS true in that the DPRK insists the Americans didn’t allow the Koreans to self determine through the PRK. But if they teach that America invaded in 1950, it’s false.

8 months ago

Jacob Hernandez

The americans had the People's government in south replaced by the people who collaborated with Japanese. They were hard pressed to find a leader who would not be tainted with the collaboration with the Japanese and they found Rhee Seung Man, who then acted as a dictator after the Korean War.

Yeah your post summarizes it well. Americans suppressing the PRK and instating the government of japanese collaborators is the real reason for the start of Korean war. Which direction whose tanks are actually rolling is merely a consequence.

The Yeosu-Suncheon rebellion gives a good perspective on the function of the South Korean government, its policies and its actions. Then followed by dictators Park Chung Hee and Chun Doo Hwan.

I’m going to pick up the Bruce Cummings book on the origins of the war for greater perspective, but this sounds about in line with what I read. But I’m still not totally certain because I guess I want to know the DPRK’s own words on the matter. Ever since starting the archived threads I’ve been curious to what degree I read lies about North Korea. Usually I feel really neutral about historical things like this, so I’m more inclined to make concessions in a discussion so as not to make whoever I’m talking too feel like they’re speaking with an ideologue since historical events can be a matter of hard facts with fuzzy context.

So in that spirit, after watching a quick NYT doc about NK disputes with Trump, and after hearing him make the claim “NK claims America invaded them (we didn’t)” I wanted to figure out what that claim means. After all, he didn’t mention that popular political movements were suppressed in the south. He didn’t mention that there were multiple peaceful protests by the communists against unfair elections, who then got shot by the police. He didn’t mention those incidents could turn into slaughter by right wing militias. He didn’t mention that A SINGLE DAY after the war started, the south initiated its wholesale slaughter of up to 100s of thousands of people deemed communists. That all seems like a glaring oversight to make the North appear like looneytunes aggressors. But to be as charitable as I can, they didn’t cite anything and the regime is fervently warlike against the Americans. I have no idea if there is a published work in DPRK that claimed the Americans invaded in 1950, or if their war museums have a plaque somewhere that says that, and if that’s the case I’d want to know so I can be aware of the false propaganda that DPRK does actually spread. After all, as much as I sympathize with the people of the DPRK just trying to live their lives, they do seem to live under a quasi-religious leader cult which may or may not be a continuation of traditional Korean beliefs and culture. I don’t think they’re all dumb or deluded, but it seems like the ones living in Pyongyang are more likely to have a stronger religious fervor for the Leader and would probably seem “extreme” or “unhinged” if asked about their thoughts on America or the Korean War. Ironically (given how our demographics split here in America) it seems as though the rural people and those in smaller cities/towns don’t care as much.

8 months ago

Brandon Clark

Mm, I meant to say that NYT documentary piece made that claim, not Trump. I don’t think he’d care for the nuances of that. I also saw a WaPo article that quoted a professor claiming the Sinchon massacre was a “fake atrocity”. When I look at Wiki for it it seems mixed on its validity though leaning towards something occurred there, and when I do a blanket search elsewhere I get Quora and Reddit posts saying it likely happened, it’s just unclear how many died and who did it. It almost sounds like the conservative position on it is that South Korea did it, at no behest of Americans. But I swear I’ve read several news articles that outright call it a lie without any further qualifications. If I was an ignorant American and I read that WaPo story, what I’d see is them quoting a professor saying it was a fake atrocity, and knowing what I do as an American about NK I’d think “oh, they fabricated evidence and built a museum there for something that never ever happened”.

8 months ago

Charles Gomez

Has anyone here actually read Kim Ill Sung or Kim Jong Ill's books or essays? Should I bother reading them or is it mostly just reassuring agitprop for the State/movement?

The thing about this thread is that it starts off rather good on the issue but quickly descends into liberal nonsense. See, the point that these redditors are making is essentially "It's undeniable that defectors from DPRK nearly always lie or embellish their experiences in the country about how horrible it is but it's not their fault because DPRK is so horrible that they are scared to never do what authorities tell them". They have absolutely no awareness of how oxymoronic this argument is. It essentially says

1) What defectors from DPRK say about the country is objectively bullshit the vast majority of the time (IE literally everything about it being an evil police-state with no freedom) but they only lie so much BECAUSE DPRK is an evil police-state with no freedom (which is the thing the defectors are lying about

2)South Korean authorities are literally just as bad as the DPRK for coercing people they know to be smooth-brained from le ebil North Korean abuse into making up a bunch of bullshit and threatening not to house them, help them find work, etc if they don't comply but they also are a better place to live than the DPRK

It's hilarious that the word doublethink is used in the first ten seconds of this thread and then the rest of the thread proceeds to be the perfect example of doublethink.

North Korea and South Korea signed an agreement in defence sector as well as a joint statement following the results of the summit in Pyongyang.

"Leaders of the South and the North have in fact announced the end of the war on the Korean Peninsula by their agreements," the spokesperson said.According to the joint statement by the leaders, North Korea decided to fully dismantle its rocket testing field in Tonchkhan-ni and will let international observers visit the field.The statement also said that North Korea was going to dismantle its nuclear reactor in Yonbyon within the framework of agreements with the United States.After the meeting, North Korean leader promised to visit Seoul in near future. He also said that both nations agreed to make efforts to denuclearize the peninsula. Meanwhile, South Korean president said that Seoul an Pyongyang agreed to remove threat of war on Korean Peninsula.The joint statement also said that the works on connection of roads and railways between the two nations would start before the year's end.Seoul and Pyongyang also agreed to send joint team to 2020 Olympic games as well as to submit joint bid to host 2032 games.The two nations agreed to cease large-scale artillery exercises and military flights near demarcation line. They also agreed to withdraw servicemen from the demilitarised zone and disarm personnel in Panmunjom truce village. Two Koreas agreed to create 80-kilometre zone free from military exercises in Yellow sea, sea of Japan.South Korean President Moon Jae-in is on a three-day visit in Pyongyang, which the first visit by a president of South Korea to Pyongyang in nearly 11 years, as former president Roh Moo-hyun travelled to North Korea back in October 2007.During South Korean President's visit it was planned that the leader would twice hold talks with Kim Jong-un and discuss further improvement of relations, denuclearization and development of dialogue between North Korea and the United States.

Well politically, Moon is dicking it: the opposition doesn't get above 15% in polling recently. Add to that the growing trends of pacifism in SK these moves are immensely popular.

8 months ago

James Ward

press F to spit on american imperialism

8 months ago

Thomas Mitchell

eh… he appeals to national souvereignity and peace, any half decent nationalist could do thatit's not bad thoughi still don't think it's a good idea for Kim Jong Un and a delegation to go visit the south, the reasons should be obviousi can't see this ending well, but i really wish it would…

South Korean circumcision rate is 90% due to United States military occupation.North Korean circumcision rate is virtually zero, save for extreme cases of phimosis where they may opt for partial circumcision.

Will Kim Jong Un become the next Gorbachev and concede his countrymen to capitalism and circumcision?

If the USA itself can now have mutilation rates with extremes ranging between 10 and 90% from state to state I doubt NK would have any significant change barring some weird medical policy being forced on NK.

8 months ago

Dominic Gonzalez

muh penises Get a life, fag

8 months ago

Chase Nelson

cheating children out of being able to feel sex as well as they would otherwise is not a pressing matteri mean, it doesn't matter if you're comparing it to the issue of classism and bourgeois ideology growing more popular, but if you compare circumcision to something like female ceos it's certainly more worth talking about.

8 months ago

Joseph Reed

i still don't think it's a good idea for Kim Jong Un and a delegation to go visit the south, the reasons should be obviousi can't see this ending well, but i really wish it would…Kim and his entourage are not morons who gonna be blown away by Seoul's riches or whatever. Even if they are, they will realize that North Korean enterprises would not be in any way competitive, so they won't do anything hasty. This is all about peace and cooperation, which can only benefit the DPRK.

8 months ago

Hunter Allen

This book has more details on what the DPRK officially claims.

8 months ago

Nicholas Clark

bros, they're clearing mines at the borderand also putting forwards more plans to have united teams at sports events

Is it just bias or why does it seem like DPRK is the only communist country that's doing anything right these days?

And if you say Cuba, they're still economically sanctioned and developing slowly, meanwhile the DPRK is pumping out a factory per month despite the sanctions, and they have nuclear weapons too. The fuck is up with that?

8 months ago

Hudson Stewart

The DPRK has abundant natural resources and is also connected to China.

(me)To elaborate Cuba is not rich in resources although it is large enough to be self-sufficient, which is why the U.S. has long sought to control it, and why blockades are not effective. Alfred Thayer Mahan, the U.S. naval officer and theorist (probably the most important military theorist the U.S. has ever produced) in the 19th century was writing that America absolutely had to control Cuba because blockading it wasn't possible. It's not Grenada or Jamaica.

Also nuclear weapons are not as difficult to make as people might think. A nuclear weapons program is about as technologically sophisticated as an oil refinery.

8 months ago

Angel Barnes

True,but funds are needed. If not look at the nuclear city of Jaraguaen.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juragua_Nuclear_Power_Plant(I know, wikipedia is not the best,but the post soviet era was pretty hard for all the socialist countries)

I recommend everyone to watch this. It's about South Koreans loyal to the DPRK.

7 months ago

Isaiah Murphy

Conversation with an ROK defector living in the DPRK:

He said he was in KATUSA [Korean Augmentation To the United States Army] in the South: he had to do chores and run errands for American GIs. During his military service, he even had to bring a bucket of water for America GIs to wash their feet. They even forced the water they washed their feet with down his throat and made him run around all night completely naked.According to him, South Korea was a living hell where people couldn’t live. He went on to tell me that North Koreans should have pride in themselves for living in a sovereign country. He was immensely happy that he was now a citizen of North Korea, he said.“I graduated from a highly prestigious school in Seoul which is called Yonsei University,” he told me. “Have you heard of Yonsei? It is one of the top universities in South Korea. Then, I wanted to go to the Military Academy.”“I submitted my application and sat for exams but I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t get in. I had excellent grades and I was good at sports. I could never understand why they wouldn’t let me in.”“I just enlisted in the military instead of going to the military academy. When I went home one day and told my parents how disappointed I was that I couldn’t get into Military Academy. My parents told me that my uncle had been a guerilla working for the North.”“It turned out that the South Korean government didn’t hire people who had someone in the family that worked for the North for any good positions in society. My uncle was the reason why I could never get into Military Academy despite my impeccable grades. Ha!”“Then, I thought to myself that there is no place for me in the South Korean society just for something my uncle did in the past. So, when I got my chance, I moved over to the North.”“This is the people’s heaven.”

During a visit with Pope Francis at the Vatican, South Korean President Moon Jae-in shared a message from Kim Jong Un: Please come to North Korea. After their meeting on Thursday, the office of the South Korean president said in a statement that a formal invitation to Pyongyang from Kim would follow

a thread was made but it has to be posted here aswellyoutube.com/watch?v=ktE_3PrJZO0a must watch and I don't mean this in the book blurb sense, go watch the full videoit's about north korean defectors in south korea and they acknowledge the starvation in the 90s and how you could have trouble leaving the country (at the same time, they have plenty of people working abroad, mostly in china) but they debunk every other bullshit lie about the DPRK

Does anyone know what happened since the 70s? It's in that decade that the ROK overtook the DPRK in lifespan and GDP per capita and it wasn't just cause they were improving faster, the DPRK was actually heavily stagnating and making little loops on the lifespan/GDP per capita graph

7 months ago

Nathaniel Turner

doubtwhy haven't they more greatly conformed production to their circumstances if they are abundant in natural resources? Their agricultural land is bad and they have less access to fertilizer than they did before the 90s. Their harvest is still inconsistent some years, though nobody is starving, but malnutrition in the rural areas exists in the expected range for a poor country.

I'd think one of their biggest issues is still lack of fuel and energy, and designing a transportation network for their circumstances to meet their supply needs. Since they seem to have more access to electricity generation than fuel, I'd figure they'd either want to focus on designing transport that runs off of their electric grid or create alternative fuels that can be made using their electricity. Not necessarily batteries, since I'm not sure if they have the right raw materials for it, but something that they could make. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like they could make a lot of ethanol, and I'm not sure how feasible it would be to make something like hydrogen powered cars.

7 months ago

Aaron White

Have even been on /pol/ or Zig Forums before? The death of the international bankers, supporting Assad, and putting a permanent end to genital mutilation are the three biggest things that the far left and far right can agree on. Genital mutilation is what pushes many people to the Not Socialist ideology in the first place due to the fact that it’s Jewish and done for capitalistic purposes. Are you really that new here?

7 months ago

Wyatt Foster

*have you even*national socialist

7 months ago

Chase Cox

Kim Ryon-hui, the North Korean defector who said she was tricked into traveling to South Korea by Seoul's spies in China, held a press conference where she reaffirmed her desire to return to the North.

Kim said she attempted suicide twice while in the South, local news service Oh My News reported. Kim said she left behind her parents, a physician husband and a daughter in Pyongyang, and that she "now has hope that she should be able to live, and return" to the North Korean capital.

The defector is a South Korean national, and last September Seoul rejected her request for repatriation to the North, citing current laws that ban defectors from leaving once they are naturalized.

None of her plans have worked, she said, and her activism is now centered on focusing attention on her cause – repatriation – and spreading awareness about "real life" in North Korea to South Koreans.

On the latter subject, Kim said South Koreans know very little about life in North Korea, and that upon her arrival in the South, she was surprised by the sight of numerous homeless people in the Seoul subways.

Kim said she had never seen homelessness in Pyongyang, because if someone is lost they are taken to their home by a helpful stranger.

"I was surprised that [homeless South Koreans] don't look for their parents or siblings," she said, stating she had lived in a socialist country for 42 years.

They defected to the DPRK, later decided it wasn't for them, and then lied about how they got there after defecting back to the ROK.There were in fact some prominent ROK defectors to the DPRK in those days. Like a chemist who invented Vinalon, a former ROK Foreign Minister, and the founder of Tae Kwon Do.

I think you mean the pizzaman.Kim Il Sung did have a pro-cornman faction in the WPK purged in 1956 though.And just as with Cuba the quality of life is way better than any capitalist country would be if placed in the same situation.

pizzaman.Sorry bro, I just watched some vid on youtube 2-3 days ago, The Korean in China told to some Westerner guys that they had to received food and goods from their's relative in DRPK during Mao and early Deng era since that part they live in China was really poor, but the situation was flipped after the fall of USSR.

Pyongyang may resume building up its nuclear arsenals if Washington’s economic sanctions remain in place, the reclusive state has said amid diplomatic bargaining over the future of Korean peace talks.

“If the US keeps behaving arrogant without showing any change in its stand,” North Korea may restart building up nuclear forces while also pushing for economic development, Pyongyang has said on Friday evening in a statement released by its state-run news agency.

“The US thinks that its oft-repeated ‘sanctions and pressure’ leads to ‘denuclearization.’ We cannot help laughing at such a foolish idea,” the North Korean statement offered.

Moreover, South Korea has considered lifting its own economic sanctions designed to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. In early October, the South Korean foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha suggested Seoul was willing to lift the restrictions as a goodwill gesture towards the North.

South Korean plans have been given a sharp rebuke from the US. “They won’t do it without our approval. They do nothing without our approval,” Trump commented on Kang’s remarks. Officials in Washington have once again vowed to maintain a “maximum pressure” effort until the North denuclearizes.

North Korea is legitimately terrible and you are a bad person if you support it. Leftists are right most of the time when it comes to US foreign policy but North Korea is so legitimately awful that US hardliners are unironically correct to strongly oppose it. Kim Daejung sucks and General Chun did nothing wrong

srsly

7 months ago

Ryan Myers

Bhaktapur's Dear Leader

For Gopal Lachmashu, a 40-year-old tea shop owner next to the Dattareya temple in Bhaktapur, the Korean peninsula is not 4,000km away but just next door.The rest of Nepal may be in the grip of a South Korean pop culture fever, but here in Bhaktapur it is Juche Idea of North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il-Sung that is the dominant ideology.“DPRK’s political system is similar to Nepal’s Panchayat,” explains Lachmashu, “for less developed countries, this tight system helps development and social unity because there is discipline.”To outsiders Bhaktapur may look like it is in a time warp given its affinity to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), but for its fifth-time elected lawmaker, Narayan Man Bijukchhe of the communist Nepal Workers Peasants’ Party (NWPP) which has led Bhaktapur for three decades, it makes perfect sense.“Just as the Korean people are dominated by the American and Japanese ruling class, India is doing the same to Nepal and the Nepalis, there are similarities between Korea and Nepal,”Bijukchhe told Nepali Times.Bijukchhe finds nothing incongruous about North Korea’s defiance of the West and its missile and nuclear weapons policy, saying it represents the country’s ideology of Juche which itself is a consequence of geopolitics in the Korean peninsula that involves China, Japan, South Korea and the United States.“Kim Il-sung is one of the great teachers for Nepal together with Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro, Rosa Luxembourg to learn communism lessons,” explains 31-year-old NWPP member, Ramesh Suwal, “the Juche Idea is a directional ideology of our party, we read and study a lot of literature from North Korea.”Bhaktapur’s extraordinary respect for Kim Il-sung and the Juche Idea is based on the vision that Bijukchhe has for his town to be self-reliant, pro-people and propel development through tourism and its famous handicrafts. Many visitors find it incongruous that Bhaktapur, which translates as ‘town of devotees’, is actually devoted to a Stalinist from the Korean peninsula.After three decades, Bijukchhe is a leader who most here regard as a true nationalist, and a scrupulously honest man of the people. Says Lachmashu: “He is far-sighted, and more mature and astute than most other leaders in Nepal. For example as far back as 2005 after the Maoists signed the 12-point agreement in New Delhi, he had predicted that India would ultimately blockade Nepal."among Bijukchhe’s many admirers is German architect Götz Hagmüller who has been involved in Bhaktapur’s restoration since 1979, when the city was declared a World Heritage Site, and has settled down here. He says: “He is the only politician I know who has a vision for his historic town and for the upliftment of his people.”

Pretty good. The economy keeps growing despite sanctions and reunification under a confederation is much closer than it was ever before.One of the main factors behind this was the shift in focus from economic development to building up the military in response to the increasing level of threat.wilsoncenter.org/publication/north-korea-and-the-cuban-missile-crisis

President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez has arrived in North Korea on a state visit. The plane of the Cuban leader landed at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, a TASS correspondent reportedThe head of Cuba and his spouse were met by North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, and his wife. The leaders and their spouses shook hands.The official talks of the two leaders are scheduled for November 5. The program of the visit of the Cuban guest to Pyongyang also includes a meeting with President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea Kim Yong Nam.As the Cuban press reported ahead of the visit of Diaz-Canel to Pyongyang, the talks will focus on the interaction of Cuba and the DPRK in international organizations, including the UN. The two countries have a long history of friendship and close political cooperation. In particular, Cuba supports the abolition of international sanctions against the DPRK, and the unification of the North and the South into a single Korean state without foreign intervention.

U.S. and South Korea Resume Military Drills Ahead of Denuclearization Talks

The U.S. and South Korea resumed combined military exercises on Monday for the first time since the trainings were suspended earlier this year. The drills, which have long been a source of irritation for North Korea, come just days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to hold high-profile nuclear talks with the pariah state.

The maritime drills, which opened Monday, will reportedly last two weeks in the southern Korean city of Pohang and will involve approximately 500 soldiers, including U.S. marines stationed in Japan, Yonhap News Agency reports.

The exercises this week could impact upcoming talks scheduled this week between Secretary Pompeo and top North Korean adviser Kim Yong Chol, the Guardian reports.

Speaking on CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday, Pompeo said he expected to the discussions to make “real progress” and lay the groundwork for “substantial steps towards denuclearization” at a planned second Trump-Kim summit.

But North Korea has previously lashed out against the U.S.-South Korean operations, which it views as rehearsals for a potential invasion. In August, an editorial in North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper accused American negotiators of “double-dealing attitudes,” alleging the U.S. was “busy staging secret drills…while having a dialogue with a smile on its face.”

The US is so fucking two-faced about this shit. I really can't tell with Trump in office if they just think this is an effective strategy of "being tough" or if they know full well that these drills have been the cause of multiple break downs in diplomacy because the DPRK constantly asks them to stop, since the meat of nearly every offer to end missile production on their side has been a request for a non-aggression deal with the US and regional countries. Hard to even get there when there are invasion drills on the border before a "diplomatic meeting".

Implying it's not a valid criticism that Kim is fat as a bathtub while the majority of the working-class people he's seen with in photo ops are unnaturally skinny

7 months ago

Hudson Allen

muh starvationnot today CIA

7 months ago

David Nguyen

Can confirm from having visited, at least in and around Pyongyang, there are other fat civilians. Also, most of the population have been/are currently involved with the military, which would make it hard to get tubby in the first place.

That article is way less pro-NK than the quotes imply. I really don't know what to think about these "ask a North Korean" articles. A lot of them seem like bullshit. They all have this very prosaic way of writing, with anecdotes that sound made-up. One of the articles talked about how NK is a capitalist society (using Max Weber's definition instead of Marx's, weirdly enough), with an interesting account of how the 'regime' broke up what was basically a Zaibatsu. Lots of accounts of extreme poverty, political repression, classism, and an account of a public execution that I couldn't read because the site wants me to pay them money. Aside from the account of the SK defector, who IMO was portrayed as kinda self-serving, not a lot of criticism of South Korea. One article that I can't quite recall mentioned how NK defectors are received warmly and taken care of by SK, which blatantly contradicts the harrowing accounts by the NK 'defectors' (quotation marks because they were basically trafficked) in My impression from watching and reading all this is that if you're an NK defector and you comply and say all the right things, things are pretty cozy. You get housing and food paid for by the state, you get sweet gigs in talkshows funded by Kochbucks, you get a passport and can travel all over the world, it's great. But if you don't comply prepare for hell. The doc also mentioned how a lot of these defectors in the media were probably children during the Arduous March, and so probably did grow up in abject poverty. It also mentions how some of these accounts are literally read from a script, and that these shows and news agencies don't accept accounts that don't fit the party line. With all that in mind, I'm not sure if you can trust any of these accounts. But on the other hand I have no idea how things are in North Korea. It seems comfy enough, based on the docs - even outside Pyongyang. But what's the political situation like? Is the country capitalist? Is there a class society? It's absolutely frustrating how I can't find a trustworthy source.

That article is way less pro-NK than the quotes imply.what were you expecting? nknews.org is based in washington and seoul

7 months ago

Aaron Roberts

Well it didn't know it was based in Washington and Seoul, I just saw the quotes and decided to read. But since you apparently know a lot about these things, could you point me to a source that isn't imperialist propaganda (preferably without a paywall)?

We do not assert that the Koreans’ biological constitution is more developed than those of other races. Defining the superiority of a nation according to biological or ethnic characteristics is the practice of reactionary, bourgeois ethnology. Arguing that national characteristics are defined by racial characteristics, bourgeois ethnologists classify people according to skin colours, namely white people as a “higher race” and coloured people as a “lower race”. They say that only a “higher race” can create advanced civilization. The reactionary ethnological doctrine has been used by imperialists as an ideological instrument for their policy of racial discrimination and obliteration of nations. Imperialists still use the bourgeois ethnological doctrine as an instrument to justify their domination over other nations, to spread national nihilism, the idea of subservience to great powers and the idea of dependence on foreign forces among the people of colonial, dependent countries and the people of the third world, and to obstruct their national independence and independent development. Fundamentally speaking, there can be no “higher race” or “lower race”. All the races are endowed with creative intelligence and ability. The low level of civilization of nations under colonial subjugation in the past is not due to any inborn inability, but is the consequence of the imperialists’ predatory policy and their policy of keeping colonial people in ignorance. The people of the third world, who were despised by the imperialists as a “lower race”, have now become the masters of their destiny, are making brilliant successes in the creation of a new life and are steadily raising the level of their civilization. By contrast, in the United States, where the white people who claimed to be the most developed race make up the overwhelming majority of her population, illiterate people are daily growing in number and their intellectual level is gradually dropping. The fact patently proves the fallacy of the bourgeois ethnological doctrine.Our country has neither a large population nor a large territory, nor is it an economic power. There is no reason for us to look down upon other nations or reject them. National chauvinism is a reactionary idea of the exploiting class and the imperialists.Reactionary racism and national chauvinism, which were used by imperialists as their ideological instrument for aggression and domination, have been categorically rejected by progressive humanity. The Japanese imperialists, who clamoured for the “mission” of “leadership” over other nations by claiming the “superiority” of the “Yamato race”, and the German fascists, who attempted world domination by advertising the “superiority” of the “Aryan race”, received the judgement of history. In spite of this, the US and other imperialists are still using racism and national chauvinism in justifying their domination and plunder of other nations.- Kim Jong Il, 28 December 1989

don't know where he got that from, but he says something similar in a 1997 speech

National pride and self-confidence are formed and expressed when one understands the good qualities of one's nation. The good qualities of a nation formed socially and historically in the struggle to shape the destiny of the country and nation has no connection with racial characters, so it is not that any special nation is blessed with such traits. Every nation is blessed with its good qualities and has the aspiration and desire to preserve and highlight them. Only when a revolutionary party appreciates the fine traits of its nation and highlights them positively, can it encourage the people to have national pride and self-confidence.- Kim Jong-il (1997), On Preserving the Juche Character and National Character of the Revolution and Construction

redfish is fucking great, I love them. Too bad they have recently been demonized because apparently they get sponsered from the Kremlin and muh Russia and all that.

7 months ago

Robert Rodriguez

By contrast, in the United States, where the white people who claimed to be the most developed race make up the overwhelming majority of her population, illiterate people are daily growing in number and their intellectual level is gradually dropping. The fact patently proves the fallacy of the bourgeois ethnological doctrine.I know kim didn't necessarily mean this as an own but god damn it's funny

is there any long series like this one but with actual english subtitles or by english speaking tourists by any chance?that abomination of a subtitle is actually giving me autism.and all I can find is the usual tiresome crapitalist propaganda even if by amateur tourists.

7 months ago

Jackson Kelly

What would you guys say is the DPRK's economic system? State capitalism? Market socialism? 100% state planning? Also is there a difference between a NEP style economy and state capitalism?

7 months ago

Logan Adams

What would you guys say is the DPRK's economic system?Mixed of planned economy and state capitalism. Basic necessities are guaranteed, but you also get a wage from your labour. How the DPRK economic plan goes forward will depend on the result of the denuclearisation / US military issue. If DPRK denuclearises enough for the US' liking and the sanctions are lifted, the DPRK will probably reform to be more market-driven and recognise private property. If not, they'll probably stick with the current public/private ratio.

Also is there a difference between a NEP style economy and state capitalism?NEP is a term by Lenin to describe the beginning of the USSR's state capitalism project. It's supposed to be a state-regulated mixed market.

7 months ago

Adrian Lewis

How much do the citizens know about Cuba? They are like brother states now but I keep hearing them say in documentaries "we are the only socialistic nation".

7 months ago

Joseph Fisher

Why would they reform for private property if they got less sanctions? Shouldn't that give them more incentive to be socialist?

7 months ago

Camden Nguyen

When I was in the DPRK, I asked my guide about the nation's commitment to communism on an international scale. They told me that they wanted other nations to find 'their own path' to socialism and specifically named off Cuba, China and I think Vietnam and Venezuela. (It's been a while now, I can't remember exactly.)

I should have pried further into what exactly they know of the economies of some of these other 'socialist' states, in case they had false assumptions about just how they functioned. It is also possible that they were viewing those other states as being on a path that the DPRK has already completed. It's hard to say, but I suspect they are at least aware of socialism in Cuba.

7 months ago

Jordan Wood

Because the removal of sanctions would allow them greater access to trade and foreign investment from capitalist nations (currently they have to go through China). This will push them to open up more special economic zones in order to develop their industry, pretty much like China did. Frankly, I don't see North Korean socialism surviving in the long run.

7 months ago

Nathaniel Hughes

socialism can't survive the development of industryat last I see

7 months ago

Christopher Garcia

Are you also one of those people who think China is still socialist? Foreign investment is a necessity in a world with no industrialised socialist allies, but that investment also leads to a degradation of the socialist system due to the increased ownership of the nation's economy by foreign capitalists.

7 months ago

Daniel Bell

i bet you are a bordiga's cock worshiper faggot

7 months ago

Jayden Bailey

It’s a necessity for rapid development, but you could theoretically achieve a slower rate of development by temporarily impoverishing yourself for exports to gain foreign currency reserves to buy foreign capital goods. Like devoting part of your industry to domestic necessities, and then another part to exporting exceptionally cheap goods, possibly below their cost by subsidizing them through your segment of critical domestic industry (housing, food, transport, medical, etc.). You’ve then generalized the exploitation of domestic labor that would occur under foreign investment to the price handed to consumers.

The problem with this is if the foreign country’s domestic producers get angry, so it would be good to target industries in which you are competing in a market that is already dependent on imports. So you’re just removing sales from a different foreign country. Then you’ll probably get less trade pushback from your customer. You slowly build up foreign currency reserves and plot your growth based on the next segment of commodities you could be competitive with another country over by undercutting them. Continue this process till you’ve industrialized to a great degree and then start charging fairer prices.

7 months ago

Alexander Hill

Come back when you have something to say that isn't worthless drivel

7 months ago

Logan Phillips

I can see that working. The issue would mainly be that it requires a certain amount of pre-existing capital in order to have a viable export market. I know NK has some industry devoted to exports through China, but I don't know to which degree they are owned by Chinese firms or whether they would generate enough foreign currency to actually grow their domestic industry. Another solution, perhaps, would be to allow foreign investment only through leases or similar arrangements. So foreign capital can invest in the country, but their property would eventually revert back to the state. This would at least prevent capital from becoming entrenched and allow NK to retain their sovereignty.

7 months ago

Alexander Martin

(me)Also, NK is sitting on a shitton of natural resources. They could probably get enough foreign currency to industrialise just by mining.

7 months ago

Austin Bailey

No stupid idiot, they plan to sell those resources transformed into finished products, that's also why they need partners, but milord is scared by those spooky strangers with money that would overthrow socialism, how? spelling some magic words probably. Just finish high school nigger.

7 months ago

Isaac Taylor

You sound butthurt, fam. If you look at the stats, the mining industry makes up about 50% of their exports. So from the looks of it, they are doing the exact thing that I'm saying they could do. Not to mention the 20 to 50 million tons of rare earths they have barely even begun to exploit.

7 months ago

Oliver Gonzalez

When foreign capital moves in on their own terms it’s not only the case that they become an increasingly damaging point of failure for party cadres (who are human and will inevitably start forming relationships of patronage with the foreign businessmen, and if the state does purges of corrupt officials it will be looked on as totalitarianism), but those businessmen will also form associations and organizations which try to push their interests into the state and mass culture. For instance, there is that well known book on North Korea’s internal affairs, called something like “A Capitalist in North Korea”, that is a European businessman’s fairly sympathetic look at conditions in the country, but he talks proudly of how he participated in the founding of the first chamber of commerce and business school. I definitely don’t think he considered this politically subversive behavior, or at least it wasn’t his motivating intent, rather that activity and even his book’s primary intent screams to me that he just wants to improve international perception of North Korea to open the market more because he felt there was economic opportunity there for entrepreneurs and foreign business. The ideology behind the building of capitalist institutions and advocating for their interests is so second nature to people who are deeply ingrained in it from birth that they barely see it as anything but the most sensible way to expand a positive space for business relationships.

7 months ago

Anthony Morales

Current yearTVs

7 months ago

Nathaniel Perez

mfw I work 6-7 hour shifts in burgerland doing physical labor and I get one 10 minute break while north korean prisoners get a half hour break every two hours

Just submitted my essay on Juche to my lib professor. Here's to hoping it does good.

6 months ago

Colton King

hope you didn't plagiarize roo

6 months ago

Nolan Sullivan

I had learn from the best somehow

6 months ago

Ryder Russell

What was the topic?

6 months ago

Wyatt Walker

Lol r u kidding. Most ethnic Koreans (朝鮮族) in China are proud of their Chinese nationality. What do you mean by “they are proud of their non-Chinese Koreanness”? If anything, they do not identify themselves as North or South Korean. In fact, Chinese Koreans face severe discrimination in South Korea where they are often viewed as being financially poor, criminals or thugs and many Chinese Koreans are fervently patriotic. Also doenjang is not alcohol its a fermented bean paste used in stews and soups.

These ethnic Koreans living in China today do not have, politically, anything to do with North Korea, many of them were Koreans who illegally crossed the border into the territory of China a very long time ago during the Qing Dynasty (清朝; 1644 - 1911). At the time the ruling ethnic Manchus (滿族) sealed off what was Manchuria (滿洲) to non-ethnic Manchu immigrants (the ethnic Han majority included) unless you were a part of the Eight Banners System known as “jakun gusa” and this area of China was known as the Willow Palisade. Imperial Russia however began making advances into Chinese territory and by the years 1858 and 1860, the treaties of Beijing (北京條約) and Aigun (璦琿條約) were signed between the Russian Empire and the Qing Empire, essentially granting the Russians full sovereignty over Outer Manchuria (外滿州), or the territories of Primorsky Krai, Khabarovsk Krai, Amur Oblast and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast today in the Russian Federation. In fact, many places in these regions of Russia today still have their own Chinese names (eg Vladivostok is 海參崴, Khabarovsk is 伯力, Blagoveshchensk is 海蘭泡 and Dalnegorsk is 野豬河). This eventually led to the Qing Empire opening up Manchuria for Chinese settlement in what is known in history as 闖關東 in fear that the Russians would further advance into Chinese territory. Illegal Korean migrants who found themselves living in Russian territory thereafter were then deported to Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan) before and during WWII by the Soviet Union, in fear that they would collaborate with the Japanese. Similarly, illegal Korean migrants in China stayed and they became full-fledged Chinese citizens.

It’d be as good as saying that there are plenty of North Koreans living in South Korea today because there were indeed North Koreans who fled to the south before and during the Korean War. Yes their hometown is in North Korea but they have never lived under the regime and they have nothing to do with the political system of North Korea. By extension you could say “the North Korea in South Korea”, “the Britain in Australia and Canada” or what have you. What a misleading title. Some Chinese Koreans could also possibly have hometowns in South Korea, so what? “The South Korea in China”?﻿

6 months ago

Jacob Robinson

Who are you responding to?

6 months ago

Nathaniel Cooper

any info on the north's Social Democrats and Cheondoism parties? imo the fact that they exist at all is proof that there is some political pluralism and room for debate within the DPRK, and they have the correct understanding of religion as having a two fold nature, one of which is revolutionary

Probably to the North Korean embassy in your country. If there is none, write an E-Mail. I doubt there is a deliverer to North Korea.

6 months ago

Bentley Carter

I don't know how it works for US citizens, but in Europe you can use DHL to deliver stuff to North Korea. I haven't used that option myself, but DHL openly lists on their website which countries they deliver to and what terms and conditions apply, and the DPRK is on there (and Cuba as well).

That said, I think an individual sending a letter to a party is a strange idea. Would you think of sending a letter to a party where you live? If so, surely the proper point of contact is the local office, and then you might as well just visit. You don't even think of sending a letter addressing the party in your country as a national entity. And in another country? How would, for instance, a Hungarian go about sending a letter to the party of the Republicans in the US? Is there any address to write to? And what does the Hungarian expect? That whoever gets the mail will inform all the other Republicans? "Hey guys, mail!"

There are a few North-Korean media outlets that interface with the world and you can write a letter to them. If you are in a party or other group, maybe you can push the group to send a letter in the name of the group. Even if it's just a committee of 20 people or so, the chance of somebody reading attentively and discussing that with others goes up drastically when dealing with a letter from a group. And maybe you can build up a good reputation over time. Sorry for the boring answer.

6 months ago

Thomas Brown

Did you not notice that all the signs and banners outside were in korean you dingus? They're chinese tourists visiting north korea.

Arduous march is finally over and the Best Korea is called Best Korea for a reason.

6 months ago

Juan Martinez

I'm kinda worried about Kim's wife being shoehorned everywhere and more worrying is the fact they shove her in western clothes. Not a good sign.

6 months ago

Thomas Robinson

it was a counterattack so yes

6 months ago

Tyler Murphy

secretly implementing cybercommunism

6 months ago

Ryan Rodriguez

My professor is one of those "The Soviet Union/East Germany/East Bloc/etc was totalitarian", so I'm pretty curious to see what they'll think of it. Will update when I find out.

6 months ago

Hunter Stewart

The counterattack was justified.Even if it wasn't a counterattack, the destruction of the Syngman Rhee clique and the liberation of the South would still have been justified.Meanwhile Kim Jong Un wears a Mao suit all the time.

What actually happened?the buildup to the war took a long time with South Korean elements raiding across the border multiple times justifying it as stopping banditry or suppressing pro-socialist guerilla movements

6 months ago

Oliver Harris

Today I found out North Korea has the largest stadium in the world. Pyongyang olympics when?

So I've been hearing that NK has "slave labour" by sending workers to other countries, for about $10k US/year, who put their earnings in Russian and Chinese banks, where it's withdrawn as cash and physically moved to DPRK. Any debunking of this, anything they're purposefully leaving out? I honestly don't know much about the DPRK, but I for sure know that capitalist media loves to portray it as a nation run by lunatics. I just saw this on CBC I'm a Canada fag

It’s possible, but I don’t see how this wouldn’t effectively just be a massive tax rate. After all, the workers need to live in China, Russia, wherever while working. Some amount of their wages would have to go to buying food, clothes, lodging. Whatever is required to live. The rest go back to the state. But considering that to be the case, that is kind of how foreign labor functions for North Korea in general, I think. People go work in China on visas who are not prisoners, and they send money back. Some amount of it is taxed away, the rest is used for living expenses. Compulsory prison labor is legal here, so I don’t feel like it is the worst thing they do. The real problem there is that people can be sent to jail for political bullshit, not that they are forced to work. That isn’t specific to Korea.

6 months ago

Aaron Torres

This seems completely absurd. The point of bourgeois nation-states is the protection of private property. I don't see how both "systems" could actually exist within one state without de facto still being two completely independent countries.

6 months ago

Anthony Torres

Can someone tl;dr me on why the DPRK is so much more closed towards foreigners than Cuba? For example why can't foreigners even travel autonomously? Regardless whether the notion of the DPRK being a dictatorial police state is true or not, this policy does nothing but enforce that notion.

6 months ago

William Moore

I think it is transparently as it appears, they are afraid foreigners will spread dissent among the population, they’re afraid of espionage and they’re afraid that what is happening in the interior will be presented as foreign propaganda. Th DPRK is still not a nice place, but I think the goal of demystifying it is making clear that it is neither run by crazy people, nor are the people inside totally brainwashed ants, nor is the country itself some kind of incomprehensible hellscape. People live their lives in North Korea like people do anywhere else, in conditions just as hard, although different, as may be found in a garbage slum in India, or an undeveloped African city with sewage running in the streets, slavery and state or criminal violence. We make North Korea into a cartoon to fantasize about all of our worst nightmares and feel secure in our righteousness and correct way of life. The media sells this image not necessarily to be complicit in top down fleeing policy goals, but because this is an organic product of the media. They sell narratives that are succinct and understandable to the public, somewhat informative when that is the guiding brand principle of the outlet, but also evocative of pathos in order to grip consumers.

6 months ago

Connor Wright

Top down foreign policy goals* if that wasn’t clear

6 months ago

Oliver Morris

I think partially this is due to Cuba being an island, which lets them passively enforce travel restrictions. DPRK has to be more active in enforcing travel restrictions.

6 months ago

Landon Gomez

Good post although it's unrelated to my question

6 months ago

Adrian Smith

How do you deal with the extreme frustration of discovering the truth about North Korea? Defending Cuba or the USSR is a titanic task as people are unironically indoctrinated to believe the most retarded lies, but North Korea is 100% a no-go even among socialists.People don't know the truth about the korean war, about defectors, about fabricated anti-DPRK propaganda, about the south korean dictatorship, about the higher GDP per capita up to the 70s and higher lifespan up to the late 80s, about the US-enabled starvation in the 90s etc. etc.In the end, the whole western world is brainwashed on North Korea, not the other way around